


Intermediary

by archfaith



Category: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Angst, Dad Maul, Darth Maul/Qi'ra (one sided), F/M, Falling In Love, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fatherhood, Force Bond (Star Wars), Hot Springs & Onsen, Hybrids, Kid Fic, Love/Hate, Maulsoka, Mom Ahsoka, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, POV Ahsoka Tano, POV Darth Maul, Parent Ahsoka Tano, Parent Darth Maul, Parenthood, Planet Naboo (Star Wars), Post-Siege of Mandalore (Star Wars), Pregnancy, Protective Ahsoka Tano, Protective Darth Maul, Reunions, Slow Burn, Togrutas (Star Wars), Unplanned Pregnancy, Weird Biology, Zabraks (Star Wars)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 53,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28412664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archfaith/pseuds/archfaith
Summary: Six years after the end of the Clone Wars, Ahsoka visits Naboo with a small child in tow--her daughter. The story of her birth and origin is shrouded in mystery, but Ahsoka has given up on finding out the truth.That is, until a chance incident brings them into a reunion with a certain former Sith lord, one she never thought she'd see again. Chapter 11 (In Control) is now up!-“That is exactly the reason why you are not in charge of an organization like this one, Lady Tano.”
Relationships: Darth Maul & Ahsoka Tano, Darth Maul & Qi'ra, Darth Maul/Ahsoka Tano, Lando Calrissian & Qi'ra, Lando Calrissian/Qi'Ra, Qi'ra & Dryden Vos
Comments: 224
Kudos: 225





	1. The Incident in Theed

**Author's Note:**

> In this timeline, Ahsoka is one year older. In this story, she is eighteen at the end of the Clone Wars, and twenty-four in the timeline of this fic (13 BBY).

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Theed, Naboo.**

It had been years since Ahsoka Tano had set foot on Naboo. Staring out of the large viewing window on the commuter shuttle, she could see the familiar domes of Theed coming into view, perched above the high waterfalls nestled atop the grassy meadows of the valley below.

It was so breathtakingly beautiful that Ahsoka nearly forgot about her situation for the time being. She remembered back to the days when she had been a Jedi Padawan, accompanying her master Anakin to Naboo to protect Senator Amidala. There was a time when they would come so often that she thought she’d memorized all the hallways in Theed. She had been working on memorizing each room when the trial for her expulsion from the order had begun.

And now, here she was again. Not a skilled and respected Jedi Padawan, but a common mechanic, fresh off the farm, more used to muddy fields and outhouses than she was to marble floors, or elegant suites. She had made sure to wear her least filthiest jumpsuit. Although it looked modest and respectable, she silently cursed as she noted that she had missed a spot of oil near the cuff of her pants. _Ah well,_ she thought. She had enough money to buy perhaps one nice outfit. Or two, if she watched their budget.

The shuttle came to land in one of the hangars on the outskirts of the city. Today the shuttle was filled with merchants; she could tell from their glossy clothes, the datapads they carried in their hands. That was common enough; travelers from the remote farming moon of Raada to Naboo were hardly ever tourists. And, she reminded herself, neither was she. Although she would stay to see the sights of Theed, she reminded herself that her real mission was to buy new tools for thresher repair. She had been using the same ones for the past five years, ever since she had made Raada her home.

The shuttle doors opened and the passengers poured out of the exit. Ahsoka looked to her right shoulder and gently shook the little girl who had fallen asleep against her. “Hey,” she said softly. “We’re here. Time to wake up.”

The small girl stirred, opening sleepy eyes and stretching her legs against the seat. “Already?” she asked, face contorting in confusion.

“It’s been five hours since we left Raada, silly girl,” Ahsoka said, smiling. “And you slept the whole way.” 

Most of the passengers had already disembarked. The little girl stood, coming out into the aisle with a shy gaze. Ahsoka stepped out after her, putting a protective hand on her shoulder as she encouraged the child to walk in front of her. They soon climbed down the exit ramp, onto the landing pad below.

Even the landing pads for regular shuttles were opulent, with circular tiles arranged in colorful designs, all gleaming with the queen’s crest.

The little girl’s eyes were wide with wonder already, and Ahsoka chuckled thinking about the beauty that lay ahead. She was pretty sure this was the child’s first time even seeing a paved walkway. “Ready?” she asked, as they descended the ramp.

“Ready!” the girl affirmed, with a toothy grin.

-

Their first stop had to be the Royal Palace of Theed. Opulent and majestic with its immense domed roofs, it rose above the city like a great ruler rising up amongst its subjects, commanding loyalty and respect.

Ahsoka had come to see the palace, to reminisce about the times before. But now, as she continued to look--she could begin to see the bad times as well. Palpatine, Dooku, all of them--they had once crossed through these doors, honored as guests. And so had many of her Jedi superiors, the same ones who had voted to remove her from the order.

She quickly tried to push the thoughts away. Perhaps that old life had belonged to Ahsoka Tano. But that person no longer existed. She was now Ashla Roshti, the mechanic from the small farming planet of Raada. 

And the girl...

The small child lingered by Ahsoka’s legs, shyly looking out from behind her. “That place is huge,” she said reflectively, staring up at the palace. “Are we gonna get to go inside, Mommy?”

Ahsoka looked down at the girl. There were days when she still couldn’t quite believe she was a mother to anyone, but here she was, all the same.

“No, Zeraa,” she said to the small child, putting a hand against the girl’s head. “We can only look.” 

\--

**The past - 19 BBY. Corellian Sector, Nar Shaadda**

Three months after the Siege of Mandalore, Ahsoka found herself living in a small hovel on Nar Shaadda, the Smugglers’ Moon in the Corellian Sector. It wasn’t terrible, all things considered. She had running water and electricity at least. Nar Shaddaa was hardly a place that one ever wanted to end up, but she found it safe for her purposes--namely, to be ignored, disregarded. She needed to be a nobody, and the Smugglers’ Moon could afford her that anonymity. 

And then the illness had started. 

She had been sitting on her bed one morning, trying to establish a connection to the weak Holonet signal, when she suddenly felt her stomach heave. She barely made it to the refresher before she retched, spilling out the contents of her stomach into the privy. 

When she had the strength to move again, she had risen on shaky legs. _Just food poisoning,_ she thought. _It’ll be gone by tomorrow._

But it happened the next day. And the next.

By the end of the week Ahsoka was barely able to keep anything down. She had tried teas, vitamins, anything at this point, but nothing made her nausea any better.

Against her better judgment, she decided to seek some advice. With her cloak wrapped around her face, she exited the grimy hovel, shutting the door behind her. She would have to take a walk to the town center to find what she was looking for.

The Corellian sector on Nar Shaddaa was minimally nicer than other parts of the planet, but one still had to be careful. As she walked down the sidewalk, trying to look inconspicuous, she reminded herself that it wasn’t so hard, here. The Smugglers’ Moon was populated by all sorts of odd characters, bounty hunters, slavers, death stick dealers, and all professions in between. She was just a thin girl with a brown cloak--nobody that anyone needed to take notice of. 

She walked until she found a narrow street, bathed in the bright blue neon lights of the garish street signs above. This was the entrance to the underground--a place where one could find anything they needed. She walked until she found what she was looking for--a set of steps that descended two stories below. Looking around, she started climbing down, grasping the railing for support. 

She emerged into a narrow walkway, populated by small, dirty-looking shops. It was still rather early in the day, only mid-afternoon, and this place really only grew alive at night. By day, it was just dusty and suspicious-looking. _Perfect._

She walked down the small block until she saw a sign saying “Medic”, in faded Aurebesh, taped haphazardly to the transparisteel. She stepped up to the threshold and opened the door.

The inside of the small room had the semblance of a waiting room, with several broken chairs in one corner. A Pa’lowick girl sat at a small wooden desk, her eyes gazing down to a datapad in her hands. “Can I help you?” she asked, without looking up.

“I’d like to see a medic, please,” Ahsoka replied. “I can pay in credit chips.”

“Well, that’s all we care about, honey,” the girl replied. “We have a medic in today. Sit down.”

\--

**The present - 13 BBY. Theed, Naboo**

Zeraa seemed excited to be in a strange, unfamiliar place. She had never been offworld from their little settlement on Raada before, and the sights and sounds of a sophisticated, well-connected world like Naboo were so exotic, so alien, that she couldn’t keep still. 

Ahsoka took her hand, absently swinging it back and forth as they walked around the city. Theed was much like she remembered it. Well-tended gardens and trees, wide open parks, beautiful sculptures. People walking about in opulent suits and dresses, with outlandish hairstyles. But there were still signs of change. Hanging from the walls of every public, the Imperial symbol loomed large on gigantic banners, fluttering in the wind. Ahsoka tried not to look at them too much, trying to wish them away, trying to enjoy the city without them. But try as she might, she could always see the imperial emblem glistening in the distance, as a stark reminder that Palpatine owned the entire galaxy now. Including this beautiful place.

Although Zeraa was still too young to notice, she was getting plenty of stares from the people around them. As soon as she passed, people leaned in to whisper to each other. Ahsoka could hear their queries from meters away.

“What kind of mix is that?”

“...never seen a child like her before…”

“Weird-looking…”

At first glance, Zeraa looked like a normal Togruta child. Small montrals which curled around her round face, the characteristic white markings of their people. But upon closer inspection, one could see the peculiarities of her features. For one, her skin was bright red. Even though red skin was common among Togrutas, this shade of red was too brilliant to be normal. And even more confusing--the small ring of horns that crossed over her forehead, ringing her head like a small tiara. It was these observable features that distinguished her as half-Togruta, although she had other features that were not so easy to see.

Still, as they continued through the market, Ahsoka found herself grateful. Even though it had taken them some time, at least they had everything they needed to survive.

\--

**The past--19 BBY. Corellian Sector, Nar Shaddaa.**

Ahsoka was escorted to the medic’s crowded little office in the back of the building. The door slid open as she entered the room, where an older human lady with greying hair and large glasses was looking over a datapad. “Now, let’s have a look at you, dear,” the medic crowed. “Lie down here,” she said, indicating the small exam table. “Are you having some troubles?”

Ahsoka sat down on the table. “I’ve been vomiting constantly,” she answered, realizing that it had been some time since she had been examined medically. “I haven’t been able to keep any food down for a week. I think it might be food poisoning. Something I ate.”

“Hm,” the medic said, narrowing her eyes. “That sounds like pregnancy, dear.”

Ahsoka, surprised at this suggestion, shook her head. “No, I’m not pregnant.”

“You sure?” The medic snapped on some plastic gloves. “Let’s take a quick look.”

\--

Five minutes later, Ahsoka found herself lying flat on the exam table, her belly being rubbed with a clear, warm gel in preparation for a body scan. She couldn’t help but feel that the whole setup was ridiculous, and that perhaps she was being swindled into it to squeeze more money out of her. Nevertheless, she let the medic do it. Even if there was no baby, perhaps they would be able to see other problems inside of her. 

The screen in the corner of the room flickered on as the medic laid the transducer against her abdomen. “Here we go,” she announced, moving it around slightly. 

Static images flashed on the screen, indiscernible at first. But then a clearer picture came into view. Ahsoka frowned. She could see a round shape, with tiny appendages. “What _is_ that?” she pressed.

“Why, that’s the baby,” the medic said matter of factly. “I told you! A simple case of pregnancy.”

_Baby..._

Ahsoka’s eyes widened in shock as she looked up at the screen. _How is this possible?_ she asked herself as she saw the round form move slightly. _How?!_

The medic ignored her, moving the transducer to another part of her stomach. “Hm, now this is interesting,” the medic said, looking at the screen. “The baby has two heartbeats.”

Ahsoka felt like she was ready to faint. “Two?”

“Yes,” the medic asked. “The baby’s father...was he Cerean? Maybe Zabrak.”

Ahsoka could barely stammer out an answer. “I’d rather not think of it, please.”

The medic nodded, in understanding. She gave Ahsoka a sympathetic look. “I’ve seen a lot of girls who’ve been forced into things they didn’t want,” she said sadly. “If that’s the case, I’m sorry to have brought it up.”

Ahsoka didn’t respond. The truth was that she had not been coerced or forced into anything. Everything she did--everything that was done to her--she had consented to. And so had he.

_Two heartbeats…_

“Look...is there any kind of condition you know of that could resemble pregnancy?” she asked. The medic looked up at her, surprised. “I’ve only been with one person--sexually--my entire life,” Ahsoka explained. “The man I was with...he wouldn’t have been able to get me pregnant. He was sterile.”

The medic looked at her with pity. “I’m sure that’s what a lot of men say, dear,” she said with a sigh. “Can’t trust any of them, these days.”

Ahsoka sighed. There was no way she was going to say more. But the only things she could think about was the man she had been with, aboard the shuttle escaping from Mandalore, just a few months ago.

_Maul._

The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. Maul did not have an organic lower body; everything from the waist down was cybernetics and machinery. There was simply no way that a child would have been conceived between them. 

“Do you want some information about options?” the medic asked kindly. “There are several choices you can make.”

Ahsoka nodded, still in a dull pain as she ungracefully pulled herself into a sitting position. _A baby._ She was going to be a mother.

To what?

\--

**The present - 13 BBY. Theed, Naboo.**

“Mom!” Zeraa cried out, in that pleading voice Ahsoka knew so well. “Can we go to the marketplace?”

Ahsoka nodded. That was their eventual destination, anyway. “Let’s go!” she said, swinging the little girl’s hands along with her own. Zeraa giggled, trying to keep time with her mother as they both laughed.

Theed Marketplace was an enormous courtyard of stalls, demonstrations, enclosures, wagons, and hundreds of miscellaneous pieces. Farmers and merchants from all over Naboo would come to sell their wares at the galaxy-famous market. Tourists and locals alike crowded the square, examining items for sale, tasting rich Naboo delicacies.

“Wow!” Zeraa exclaimed as they entered. “I’ve never seen so many people in one place.” That was definitely true. Zeraa had been born on a ship enroute to Raada, and had spent her entire life there. Their entire village on Raada could fit into the vast square. 

They wandered through the square, looking around at the multitudes of different items that could be bought. Souvenir bottles from the great waterfalls near Theed; exotic fish being offered as pets; and large conch horns, the same type used by Gungan military to signal an attack.

Zeraa giggled and watched as they wandered through each stall. Her eyes widened as they reached a stall selling plush toys. Zeraa didn’t have many amusements back home on Raada, and this was mostly due to the fact that toys were hard to come by. Traders only came by every few weeks, and they scarcely had toys. Here, there were row upon row of colorful stuffed convers, wampas, and loth-cats. 

Ahsoka noted her daughter’s eyes brightening as she touched a large bantha toy that was sitting in the corner of the stall. “Is that something you want?” she asked the girl, leaning down.

Zeraa nodded, though she said nothing. Ahsoka knew that usually meant that Zeraa was completely into it.

Ahsoka called the shopkeeper over. “We’d like to buy this,” she said. “How much is it?”

After haggling for a few minutes, Ahsoka handed the shopkeeper fifteen credits. “Is this good for you?” Ahsoka said, kneeling down to present the bantha to Zeraa. 

She nodded again, her face all smiles. “Mmhmm.”

Ahsoka smiled warmly. Gods, how she _loved_ this little girl. 

-

**The past - 19 BBY. Corellian Sector, Nar Shaadda**

Ahsoka sat upright on the examining table as the medic handed her a small data pad with a lid, much like a small journal. “This will have information on everything you would want to know about a baby, if you decide to go through with it,” she said. 

Ahsoka turned the book over in her hand. “Can you do a termination?” she asked eagerly.

The medic nodded. “Of course. That’s a common procedure. The sooner the better, especially for someone as small and skinny as you are.”

Ahsoka sighed. All of this information was coming much too soon, much too fast. “Okay. I think I need some time to think about it.” 

The medic nodded. “It’s all up to you,” she said. “I’ll leave you to get dressed.” She exited the exam room, giving Ahsoka a few moments to collect herself.

She thumbed the data pad, frowning. Termination had been her first thought. After all--this was an impossible pregnancy. There was no way that Maul could have fathered the baby, and she hadn’t been with anyone else since that. So what sort of thing was growing inside her, anyway? Besides--she wasn’t mother material, not now at least. She was lying low, and a kid would only attract more attention.

She sighed, looking down at her stomach. Still flat, but if she didn’t act quickly, that would soon change. Well--at least she had the choice to begin with. Plenty of other girls around the galaxy didn’t have a choice, and she was grateful that she did. But she needed to think.

She got down from the table and gathered her belongings. As she walked down the hallway to the lobby, she felt a sudden urge to try to contact Maul. Perhaps he had some kind of explanation for what could have happened. Then again...she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to know. She knew her entire story was unfeasible. At the least, Maul would brush her off. At the worst, he would probably be furious that she would come to him with such ridiculous claims. 

_Two heartbeats…_ that only made her think of all the times she had pressed her head to Maul’s chest, to listen to his hearts beating in unison. It only made her think of his hand, cradling the back of her head, stroking her montrals as she closed her eyes.

-

**The present - 13 BBY. Theed, Naboo.**

It was odd. As soon as her mind imagined him, as soon as she turned the word _Maul_ over in her mind, she felt a pull in the Force. An acknowledgement of sorts. She frowned. Finding another Force adept was rare, and she had certainly never met one on Raada. But she supposed it was far more likely that a Force adept would appear on a well-populated planet like Naboo. 

Still--she had nothing to communicate to anyone at the moment. She closed her mind. Pushing her old thoughts away, her mind was brought back to the present by a few panicked screams emerging from one of the nearby stalls. As people craned to see what was happening, a man pushed his way through the crowd, his blaster drawn. “Run!” people began screaming, bumping into each other, struggling to get out of the way. 

“Zeraa, get down,” Ahsoka commanded, pulling the little girl behind one of the vacant stalls. She hadn’t seen action like this since the Clone Wars--her current life was so stable, so predictable, that she had almost forgotten what it was like. Her hands instinctively wandered to her lightsabers, concealed in a deep pocket on her jumpsuit. She hadn’t planned on bringing them with her, but she had listened to her instinct. Now she was glad she did.

The man with the blaster had a parcel wrapped in paper underneath his arm. He ran towards the area that Ahsoka and Zeraa were in, scowling and looking around. He noticed the woman and child hiding behind the stall. “You, up!” he said, catching a hold on Zeraa’s arm. Ahsoka’s heart fluttered and she stood, igniting her sabers. 

He was dead in two strokes.

She slashed twice before the man slumped to the ground, the front of his robes smoking. 

Zeraa, horrified, turned to hug Ahsoka. “Mommy,” she whispered. “That was close.”

Ahsoka, shaken, looked down at her shoulder. She saw the jagged looking hole where the blaster shot passed through, ringed with smoke. _Sloppy._ With a gasp, she fell backwards, unable to hold herself up as she fainted onto the cold stones of the courtyard.

She could hear her daughter screaming and crying uncontrollably next to her as more people approached. She could feel her consciousness slipping away, and tried to get one more thought out before she succumbed to the darkness.

_Please take care of Zeraa._

-

The scene at the marketplace was chaotic. In a panic, thousands of people had run from the area, leaving a few minor injuries due to falls and scrapes. There had apparently been some sort of robbery, along with a shooting as well, and an ambulance had arrived to take the wounded to the nearest medical facility. Crowds of people milling around the trampled produce and merchandise. 

Clad completely in black with the hood pulled up to his face, the man leaned against the wall on the far side of the courtyard, watching the scene unfold. 

From far away he caught glimpses of the wounded civilian--a Togruta woman. He felt his hearts leap in his chest. _No. Can’t be her._

He walked nearer to the corner of the marketplace, as far as he could go without looking suspicious. He could see her more clearly now. The orange skin, the familiar white markings. _Ahsoka!_

He could barely restrain himself as he studied the number on the ambulance, noted the hospital it came from. He wanted to go over there now to inspect her, but that would only bring suspicion down on both Ahsoka and himself. He resolved to be patient, but secretly fumed inside.

He would try to go to her as soon as it was safe.

Finally calmed, Maul pulled the hood down to his shoulders. He had felt her presence, had reached out to her through the Force. And the last thought he received from her had been confusing, jumbled. _Take care of…Zeraa?_ He had no idea who or what she was talking about, only that he had finally found her. And now she had almost died.

Shaking his head, he let himself blend into the shadows between the alleyway of a large building. He would make sure to be at the hospital when the ambulance arrived.


	2. The Lord of Crimson Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After arriving on Naboo, Maul senses a familiar Force signature and wonders if it's someone from his past that he has longed to see for years. A closer inspection reveals that he has a lot more problems than he realized.

****

**The present -13 BBY. A shuttle approaching Theed, Naboo.**

“Can I get you anything right now, sir?”

Maul let his yellow eyes roam over to the eager-looking protocol droid next to his seat, standing at attention and ready to receive orders. It was a C-series droid, with silver fittings and an upbeat, feminine-sounding voice.

“Yes,” he said dispassionately. “I need to take another look at my schedule for the next week.”

“Coming right up, sir.” Maul could have done this himself, but he was in an unshakably bad mood at the moment. He leaned back as the droid pushed several buttons on the chair rest, activating a holo calendar that floated in front of Maul, green letters pulsing gently against the air.

The hologram displayed his current schedule, grouped in neat boxes under each day of the week. Maul’s eyes roved over it; he was meticulous about his time, and the next week would be no exception. There were no meetings scheduled for today, or the day after. On Wednesday he had arranged to meet with Dryden Vos and his assistant, Qi’ra. On Thursday, with the Pykes. And several more meetings on Friday and through to the weekend, both with his employees and with rival syndicates that he was seeking alliances with.

“Does this all look in order, sir?” the droid asked.

“Yes...I suppose it does,” Maul waved the calendar away with a gloved hand. He simply wasn’t in the mood. His usual work week was already seven days long, and he usually spent at least fourteen hours of each day communicating with his agents, drawing up schematics, researching obscure technologies. Running an organization like Crimson Dawn required complete and utter dedication to the business of committing crime. But even his mind needed a rest, every now and then. “If anyone calls upon me, do not arrange any meetings for today. Or tomorrow, for that matter.” 

“Yes, sir.” The droid bowed, and retreated into the back of the ship. 

Maul looked out the window of the shuttle as Theed Palace came into view. _This wretched place._ He usually tended to hold business meetings on core worlds, as opposed to Dathomir. While he preferred the dark, bleak environment of his home planet, he also knew that he had to lead from within the shadows. People would soon begin to notice if an influx of people were suddenly heading to Dathomir, and it wasn’t something that could be explained away by trade or tourism. Dathomir was a barren place, with few luxuries and an atmosphere that most people found oppressive. Besides--people were much more amenable to his deals and restrictions when they were shown wealth and opulence. They needed to be wheedled into submission, broken down little by little with a show of hospitality.

So Maul would take the initiative, ordering his agents to make arrangements to meet with his associates and rival syndicates on Core Worlds. Usually the meetings took place on Corellia, Chandrila, or any other number of well-connected planets. This time his agents had recommended Naboo.

He had no love for Naboo. In fact, even the very sight of it turned his stomach--what was left of it, anyway. It had been the place where he had been rendered half of himself, where he had been savagely cut apart by the Jedi padawan Kenobi. And yet he knew that, as a center of commerce, it was one of the best places to organize meetings between himself and his associates--Naboo, and Theed City in particular, gave off an air of high-class elitism. The perfect cover for discreet meetings between criminal organizations. 

The shuttle touched down on a private landing pad near Theed Palace. His agents had arranged for a private transport to take him to the residence where he would dwell for the next week. Maul walked down the ramp, crossing his arms as he waited for the droids and attendants to retrieve his belongings. He liked to travel light these days. On this trip he had brought along the bare minimum--there was the protocol droid and an astromech to assist with any possible hacking and encryption he would need to do. Along with those, there were two other droid assistants to help with food preparation and other tasks and logistics. Besides the droids, he also had two Twi’lek attendants, a brother and sister duo who had impressed him with their assassination techniques the year before.

He looked up, feeling a slight tingle at the base of his neck. He had the distinct feeling that someone was reaching out through the Force. But the thought was not focused; it was just a small reach, a pull. Someone was _stretching_ through the Force, perhaps; letting their presence be known while not communicating anything in particular.

_A Force Adept_ , Maul thought, fleetingly. He could sense a Force user from great distances, though he rarely attempted to reach out. This feeling was...another thing entirely. Innocent, somehow. _Strange_ , he thought as he strode out of the hangar, his attendants following close behind. 

-

The residence where he would be staying for the next few days was located on a leafy, tree-lined avenue, in an affluent part of Theed. It was a large mansion built of gray stone, with green turrets and grotesque-looking gargoyles perched atop its rafters. It was entirely too ornate and opulent for Maul to appreciate, but it would do nicely for the meetings that would soon be officiated. He had to show wealth and power to his associates, even when he felt the trappings were distasteful and ostentatious.

The transport was large and spacious, designed to move a large group of people. But for now, it only contained Maul and the four droids, and the two attendants in front. It slid down the long driveway, coming to stop right in front of the residence. Maul climbed out of the vehicle, eyeing the mansion that loomed in front of him. “Qin, Xi’an,” he ordered, looking back at the transport.

“Coming, boss!” Xi’an’s oddly cheerful voice rang out as she and her brother climbed out of the transport’s front seat. These two had always seemed somewhat unhinged to Maul, but he liked those elements in his underlings. Having too much of a heart was inadequate for what he needed them to do. They had been working for him for a few months now, and had always proven themselves useful when he called upon their services.

The two purple-skinned Twi-leks came up to Maul. “Go and check the entire house,” he told them. “If you find any cameras or recording devices, bring them to me.”

The twins nodded. Qin had secured a keycard, which he now applied to the mansion’s front door. Xi’an clambered inside after him. _That will keep them occupied for a few hours_ , Maul thought. He turned back to the transport, watching as the protocol droid and the two helper droids lifted some of his suitcases from the cargo compartment within. The astromech droid let out a few encouraging beeps. 

“You, what was your name, again?” he asked the protocol droid who had served him on the shuttle. These were all new droids, purchased in the past month by his agents on Coruscant. 

The droid straightened. “C-ZP0, sir, human cyborg relations. And this is my counterpart, R4-D4," she said, indicating the astromech. "The other two droids are--”

“Zeepio and Arfour. Alright,” Maul answered impatiently. “I’ll be going out. While I’m gone, I expect my console to be set up in the main office, with an encrypted connection to Holonet. After you’re done with that, you can store my belongings in the master bedroom.” 

Ordinarily, Maul would have seen to these items himself. Whenever he went on one of these field trips, he was entirely focused on business. He would set up his computer console and immediately start working. He had been to some of the most picturesque places in the galaxy--Jedha, Bespin, Alderaan. But he had never bothered to see any of the sights those places had to offer. He tended not to loiter around outside--not when there was work to be done. And there was always work to be done.

But for some reason, today--he felt like going out. Never mind that it was Naboo, a planet he literally detested. There was some unseen force pulling him, nagging at him, telling him that he needed to go.

He ambled off down the long driveway. Theed’s residential area was near the center of town, and the distance to the marketplace was walkable. He supposed he made quite a sight--a tall Zabrak with red skin, heavily tattooed, dressed in black from head to toe. But the people of Naboo were too polite to stare or gawk. And too intimidated to express outright disapproval. But these were all trifles. As long as no one was trying to kill him, Maul felt content.

-

**The past - 19 BBY. Star Destroyer over Mandalore.**

The star destroyer was in a state of chaos, and it had all been Ahsoka’s doing. Well--it had mostly been Maul’s doing, but Ahsoka had been the one to release him. _Like letting a wild animal free from its cage_ , Maul thought self-deprecatingly as he ran down the corridor to the hangar. _Animals will do what they must to survive._

The door to the hangar slid open, and Maul peered inside to the end of the bay. There was one shuttle left, and he could reach it if he sprinted. To the right of him, Ahsoka and her remaining clone ally, Rex, were keeping the rest of the clone army at bay as a volley of laser blasts rained down upon them from the other side of the hangar, across the platform where they stood. 

Maul took off down the length of the hangar, knowing that it was only a matter of seconds before Ahsoka noticed him. And he was right. In a heartbeat she was after him, dashing, her sabers bared. He looked around, for some way to defend himself without the use of his lightsaber. Seeing a pile of debris on the floor near them, he lifted it up before throwing the parts at Ahsoka, letting the full strength of his fury guide him.

“You wanted this chaos!” he screamed at her as she leaped and swerved to avoid the debris he hurled towards her. This girl was too good, too skilled. _The Jedi were fools to throw her away._

Maul’s eye was drawn to the scene behind her; even as Ahsoka tried to come closer, he watched as Rex struggled to fight off the attacking troopers. But with Ahsoka distracted, the clones had no problem honing in on Rex. With one sickening crack, Rex suddenly fell to the floor, his chest an explosion of blood as he slumped over.

Ahsoka turned her attention back to the firefight behind her. “ _Rex_!” she screamed, turning towards her fallen comrade. “ _Rex_!”

In that moment, Maul hesitated. With Ahsoka distraught and distracted, he could easily have boarded the shuttle. Ahsoka would most likely be overwhelmed, and would be unable to defend herself. She would die, and he could get away.

But something compelled him to reach out to her in that moment, through the Force.

_Come with me._

Ahsoka, still in shock over the sight of Rex’s body, dropped to her knees in defeat. At that moment, he felt her spirit falter and crumble. Though it appeared that she been through many trials, the loss of her remaining ally seemed to crush any hope she had for her own survival. She extinguished her blades, letting one clatter to the floor, not even bothering to defend herself from the clones’ onslaught as they began to use their cables to swing across the chasm, getting closer and closer.

Even though he had been trying to swerve and evade her only seconds before, Maul ran towards her. Reaching out, he called the lightsaber she had dropped into his hand, igniting it and using it to deflect the blaster shots from the approaching troopers. With the other hand, he firmly grabbed Ahsoka’s wrist, hauling her up, dragging her towards the shuttle.

“ _Fight_ , Tano!” he cried in desperation, but Ahsoka was so defeated, so shaken, that he had to forcefully pull her into the shuttle, barely able to deflect the laser blasts before he could activate the ramp, sealing them inside. 

Ahsoka collapsed onto the floor as Maul ran to the controls. He sat down in the pilot’s chair, switching on the shuttle’s systems and activating the shields as he located the buttons that controlled the hangar door. The shuttle was still sustaining heavy fire from the clone troopers below, who had swiftly forgotten Rex and were now setting their sights on the escapees. In a wild burst of energy, Maul pushed the joystick forwards, propelling the ship out of the hangar and into the freedom of space. 

He could barely breathe, barely think as he absently punched in the coordinates for a remote system, one he had committed to memory. As the yellowish light of a nameless moon came into view, he pulled the hyperspace lever as he leaned back in his seat, bracing for the jump.

In the next second they were through, the bright lights of hyperspace flooding his vision as he slumped back, exhausted. It was done. 

They had escaped.

After a few minutes, he thought to check on Ahsoka, and turned back to see how she fared. She was still sitting where he dropped her, eyes closed, breathing raggedly with one hand gripping her remaining lightsaber.

Maul sighed. _Now I’ve got a new problem on my hands._

-

**The present -13 BBY. Theed Marketplace, Naboo.**

Inexplicably, Maul was drawn towards the bustling Theed marketplace. He normally detested being in crowds, and avoided them whenever he could. This wasn’t a problem on the sparsely populated Dathomir, but when he journeyed to cosmopolitan planets like these, it was an annoyance--hence why he preferred to stay inside.

He wandered around the perimeter of the square, keeping to the edges as much as possible. _What am I doing here?_ he thought absently. Shopping didn’t interest him; he would provide his protocol droids with lists of things he needed, and it was their responsibility to procure them. Cloaks, boots, robes--they would appear in his wardrobe perhaps two or three days after his request has been made. He had no desire to do any sightseeing, or to see anything, really. So what _was_ he doing there?

He was abruptly knocked out of thoughts by that particular Force signature he had felt earlier in the day, faint now. Except now it was mentioning him. Not addressing him--but _thinking_ about him.

_Odd._ He reached back out through the Force, and gave a gentle acknowledgement. _I’m here._ The signature immediately dimmed. Maul frowned at his own indiscretion. For all he knew, it might have been someone who wanted revenge against him. He had been running Crimson Dawn for years now; it was inevitable that someone had a grudge. And if that was the case, it would be foolish to have revealed that he was nearby.

His thoughts were again interrupted by a series of shouts. There was a physical disturbance in the marketplace at this point. He noticed a large group of people running away from one direction as he heard the unmistakable sound of blaster fire in the distance. This surprised him. Naboo was normally such a peaceable society; crime was almost unheard of. He stepped against a small passageway as the chaotic press of people tumbled in his direction. Maul tried to focus, tried to reach out to whoever had been thinking about him.

He got the answer as soon as she tried.

_Ahsoka!_

It was unmistakable. That signature, that feeling. That presence he hadn’t felt in years... 

Fading. And then one final thought. 

_Please take of Zeraa_.

With a slow realization, he could only guess that Ahsoka had been the one whose signature he had felt through the Force. She could been injured during the robbery just then. How else would that explain her sudden disappearance in the Force, like a candle that had been snuffed out?

He saw a crowd of people now surrounding an area in the middle of the marketplace, seemingly all looking down at the ground in front of them. At once he wanted to fly over there, to check and see whether his hunch had been correct. But that would call too much attention, and there was already a press of people returning to the scene. He stood, watching, unable to do anything as the loud sirens of an ambulance transport flared in the distance. 

He still felt the pull of denial echoing his mind. _No. Can’t be her._ He felt both his hearts pounding as he watched the crowd part to make way, and Maul finally saw the Togruta woman lying prone on the street. There was no mistaking it--it had to be her. After a few seconds, medics had arrived, and had lifted the woman onto a stretcher. After that, he lost sight of Ahsoka, the curious crowd pushing forwards and obscuring his view.

He was able to make out the hospital name on the side of the transport-- _Theed Hospital._ He narrowed his eyes. He had an idea of where that was. Pushing his emotions out of the way, his hearts still beating fast, he quickly set about making his plans. He would try to make it there before nightfall, and enact his plan then. He needed to reach Ahsoka quickly. As a planet under Imperial jurisdiction, she would most likely be taken into custody if her identity was discovered.

Plus, he just really wanted to see her again.

-

**The past - 19 BBY. Escape shuttle from Mandalore.**

Ahsoka barely moved the next few hours after the ship jumped into hyperspace. She had lapsed into a near-catatonic state, her limbs slack, eyes unfocused. When she did deign to move, she only made it as far as the bunk in the small crew area in the back, lying down with her back facing the cockpit. She had retreated so far into herself that she didn’t even care that she was making herself vulnerable to attack.

Maul knew better than to try to speak to her, or provide any kind of comfort to her. He had his own troubles, his own problems. First, there was the issue of how to contact Crimson Dawn. There would need to be a period of silence for a while. Perhaps they would think he was dead, and cease searching for him. He could then try to get in touch with Dryden Vos and the others…

He let Ahsoka have the back room to herself. Although the pilot’s chair made an uncomfortable bed, he would rather put up with a sore back than disturb Ahsoka’s thoughts. She was in a silence so profound, so overarching, that nothing he could do would bring her back from it. They did not know each other well, and Maul had no desire to spout empty platitudes that he had never believed.

He kept himself busy studying star charts and researching remote planets, making sure to set their coordinates to a new location every few hours. He knew they would eventually run out of fuel, but until that happened, they could afford to spend a few days drifting, with no destination in mind. He had found enough rations to last them about a month or so.

They existed together in the ship, in silence. Although it should have been awkward and uncomfortable, Maul found that he did not feel it in the slightest. There was an unspoken truce that they had built up between them. Besides--he found that he didn’t have much to say to her. Not until she began the conversation. 

After three days of silence and stillness, Ahsoka finally turned to him. “Maul,” she said weakly, from her place on the bunk.

For some reason Maul found that he had been waiting for her to say something. And as the first word he had heard in days, hearing his own name was a pleasant surprise. 

“Yes, Lady Tano?” he asked, stirring from his place on the pilot’s chair. 

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Nowhere in particular,” he said. “I’ve put the ship in orbit over Bogano for now.”

“Where?”

He sighed. “It’s remote enough that no one will find us.”

Ahsoka was silent for a few moments. “Why didn’t you kill me, back there on the star destroyer?” she asked, voice shaking. “Why didn’t you just leave?”

Maul raised an eyebrow. “I once asked _you_ to let me die, if you remember,” he whispered. “And you didn’t. Wouldn’t you think I’d return the favor?”

Ahsoka closed her eyes again. “I don’t know if there’s much of a difference between being dead and the way I feel right now.”

“There will be countless more ways you can choose to off yourself,” Maul said, crossing his arms. He could recognize that Ahsoka was looking for some kind of empathy, but he was the wrong person to ask it from. “One day, you may take your pick.”

Ahsoka sighed.“How do I know you aren’t going to kill me now?”

“I could have, trust me,” Maul replied. “You left your lightsabers unattended this entire time. It would have been extremely easy.”

Ahsoka rolled onto her back, looking up at the bunk above her, seemingly dropping the conversation. Maul turned back to this research, thumbing through the ship’s information drive.

After a few minutes she spoke again. “I don’t mind if you sleep in the top bunk,” she said. 

Maul turned slightly. “I don’t wish to invade your space, Tano.”

Ahsoka spoke without looking at him. “I really don’t mind if you do.”

-

**The present - 13 BBY. Theed, Naboo.**

Maul walked back towards the direction of the mansion, only a few blocks from the main square. He pulled out his comlink, adjusting it to the frequency channel that only his personnel could access. “Zeepio,” he said sharply.

The droid’s voice flickered back. “Yes, sir.”

“I will need you and Arfour to make some special arrangements. I need medical equipment installed in one of the spare rooms of the residence.”

“Sir?” Zeepio’s voice was clearly confused. 

“I need you and Arfour to locate and source medical equipment fit for a person who has endured a blaster wound.” Maul was not an expert in medical technology, but he would leave it to the droids to figure it out. “You may also purchase a medical droid if necessary.”

“Sir, one of the droid helpers here is a med droid. 2-1B.”

“Good.” At least that was one thing he didn’t have to worry about. “I want you to locate these resources within the next fifteen minutes. Once you’re made the arrangements, you can have Qin and Xi’an retrieve the equipment. They may rent another transport.”

“Another one, sir? Will we be using the one we currently have?”

“Yes,” Maul said, as he continued to walk down the street. “I’m on my way back to the residence. Have the transport ready for me. You and I are going for a drive.” He thought for a moment. “And ask Arfour to get me a detailed blueprint of Theed Hospital. Every level, every nook and cranny. I’ll need all of it.”

\--

There could be no question about it. As an escaped Jedi, Ahsoka was definitely on the Empire’s Most Wanted list. She may have been able to stay off the radar for years, but now she was being processed and treated at a hospital on Naboo--now an Imperial city. It would only be a matter of time before the Empire found out, and sent its agents to take her into custody.

Maul was used to formulating plans on the fly, but this was something else entirely. The streets and avenues of Theed raced by the window as Maul sat in the back of the transport, carefully studying the hospital blueprints on a holo visualizer. He had an idea of where Ahsoka had been taken--probably first to the emergency wing, then to the surgery wing. After that, she would be taken to the recovery wing--most likely. The recovery wing was probably the least protected out of all of these locations. That would be where he would retrieve her. 

Perhaps he didn’t need to storm his way in, this time. There were easier, more civilized ways of slipping into a hospital undetected. Besides, it was a civilian hospital on Naboo, not a highly guarded imperial medcenter. There were probably some guards, but nothing that Maul wouldn’t be able to handle. If they got there before any Imperial agents, that is.

Theed Hospital loomed in the distance, located at the end of a long thoroughfare lined with ornamental fruit trees. Located on the campus of Theed University, it was a large building hewn of brown brick, with the characteristic green dome that was a trademark of Naboo architecture. “Zeepio, drop me off here,” Maul commanded. “I’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“Of course, sir.” The transporter stopped and the door swung open as Maul climbed out. “What would you like me to do?”

“Park the transport somewhere discreet, and keep the comlink tuned to my channel,” he said, eyes flickering to the comlink on the dashboard. “Wait for my instructions.”

Zeepio nodded. “Understood.” The door slid shut, and the transport drove away, leaving Maul alone in the early evening air. 

_Of all the things I thought I’d be doing today…_ he thought as he walked down the shaded avenue that led down to the hospital. _Running a rescue mission isn’t one of them._

-

The elevator finally came to a stop after a descent that seemed to take hours. The door slid open, revealing four tall security guards, clad in the red and blue uniforms of Naboo guards. Between them stood the tiny Togruta girl, wearing a dusty sundress. She clutched the stuffed bantha close to her as another guard came forwards to greet the group.

“This is the kid that was with the Jedi girl, huh?” the attendant asked, looking down at her. “We haven’t had to hold anyone down here for a while. Put her in Cell 2187.”

“Alright kid, let’s go.” One of the guards pushed Zeraa forwards, and she scampered along, trying to keep in step with the group.

The guard escort meandered down the long, dimly lit hallway, past door after door. They finally came to a stop in front of yet another nondescript door, with fading, peeled lettering that read _2187_.

“Um, excuse me,” Zeraa said, in a small voice. “When am I gonna get to see my mommy?”

The guards looked at each dispassionately, but said nothing. Zeraa, thinking they hadn’t heard her, repeated the question. “My mom is sick! When can I see her?”

One of the guards slid a keycard through the door’s slot, unlocking it.. The door slid open, and one of the guards reached forwards to shove the tiny Togruta girl into the cell. Not expecting the rough handling, Zeraa gasped as she fell forwards to the ground, the stuffed bantha partially breaking her fall as she landed on her knees against the hard cement floor.

Pain flashed against her knees as she scraped them against the floor. Despite the pain, and the small bloody cuts on her legs, she turned around to look up at her captors. “Wait!” she called out as the door slammed slid shut behind her. “Please don’t leave me here. Please…” 

There was no response to her entreaty. Only the footsteps of the guards who had escorted her, walking away and chatting to themselves. “I don’t think that kid is gonna see her mom again,” one of them said with a chuckle.

“I wish we could have been the ones to turn them in,” another said, as their voices retreated down the hall. “We would have been rich!”

Zeraa looked around the small room. There was a cot with a threadbare blanket in the middle and a privy in the corner. No windows, and no light save for a bare bulb that hung down from the ceiling, sparking on and off irregularly. 

Still in pain from the fall, she crawled to the tiny cot in the center of the room. Crawling onto it, she tucked her knees to her chest, her small white-and-blue lekku curling around her face as she began to cry.

_Mom...Mom…_

-

Maul stopped walking, feeling a sudden and violent break through the Force

_Pain._ Not only physical pain, but mental anguish.

_Ahsoka?_ he wondered, sending an inquisitive feeling back. But there was no response to his query, only a small, steady wave of discomfort that started to sweep over him. 

He didn’t think it had been Ahsoka. The emotions he could glean were half-formed, confused, utterly terrified. Starting out faint at first, the wave quickly grew into a full avalanche of horror. Abandonment. Guilt.

Maul resumed walking, though his mind was unsettled by the unexpected explosion of emotion he was experiencing. He couldn’t tell who it was coming from, but he could trace the signature to the hospital, somewhere deep within. And he had a feeling that Ahsoka would know to whom it belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things.
> 
> Qin and Xi’an are from The Mandalorian Season 1, Episode 6! I didn’t want to create more OCs who would only be around for a few lines each chapter, so I decided to use these crazy twins. Plus, I feel like it would be in character for them to have worked for different crime organizations in the past, before joining up with Mando and the rest of Ran’s crew.
> 
> C-ZPO and R4-D4 are just total ripoffs of C-3PO and R2-D2, except they are programmed with female personalities. I wanted to have characters that were similar to our favorite droids but not actually our favorite droids (because at this point they would be on Alderaan with the Organa family) so yeah here they are.
> 
> As for the mansion on Naboo, if you’re having trouble visualizing it, it’s like a Naboo version of Downton Abbey. Hopefully that helps?
> 
> Also, sorry Rex fans :( :( :( Ahsoka's gonna talk about his death later, so it's not just a plot point that is over and done with!
> 
> As always, I welcome comments and constructive criticism, or just thoughts about Maul or Ahsoka in general.


	3. Theed Hospital

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maul enters Theed Hospital to rescue Ahsoka, while Ahsoka struggles to get out of the captive situation she finds herself in.

The present - 13 BBY. Theed Hospital, Naboo. 

It was amazing how far one could get simply by pretending that one had a purpose to attend to. By all means and measures, Maul stood out. A heavily tattooed Zabrak, clad in severe black, was not a particularly common sight anywhere in the galaxy; especially in the conservative and fashionable atmosphere of Theed Hospital. But as he reached the entrance to the hospital, Maul pulled his hood back. He wasn’t going to attempt to use stealth or muscle in this case. 

He could have stormed in, killed everyone, and found his way to Ahsoka after picking his way through the bodies. That was what he might have done years ago, as a Sith assassin, if he found himself in a similar situation. But if there had been anything that he had learned during his tenure as the lord of Crimson Dawn, it had been this: patience always found an easier way through.

By now, twilight has descended into night. As expected, the entrance foyer of the hospital was impressive, as most public buildings on Naboo were. There was a long marble desk set with holo screens and communication devices, and a few ornamental trees sat serenely in an immense stone planter in the middle of the hall. There were some medical staff and students milling about in small groups, but they were few and far between. Most of the personnel had likely gone home, leaving just the night staff. Maul walked in carefully, making sure his eyes were focused, his gait confident.

He had nearly memorized the schematics of the hospital from his examination during the ride over. He strode through the foyer and past the reception desk. A copper-plated protocol droid tried to intercept him. “Sir?” it asked politely.

Maul waved his hand. “It’s alright, I know where I’m going,” he said as he quickly walked past. Behind him, he heard the droid let out a confused squeak before settling back down into silence.

And that was really all he needed to do. 

He passed doctors and students, some walking alone and some in groups. Without exception, he was met with curious glances and suspicious looks. He set his face into a focused expression and walked past each of them. Never mind that his dark attire and startling looks were out of place at a university hospital. As long as he projected an air of confidence, with just a hint of intimidation, he would not need to cut anyone down.

The people of Naboo were just too polite for their own good. Maul had encountered numerous civilizations populated by wary and suspicious individuals, but the Naboo tended to mind their own business--even if things seemed out of sorts. As he walked down the corridors, he could hear snatches of conversation emanating from the hospital employees, paying none of them any mind.

“Who do you think that guy is?”

“He looks important.”

“Maybe a doctor from offworld?”

He wandered down several nondescript hallways, finally finding his way to the elevator in the North Wing, where the Recovery ward would be located. The hospital was labyrinthine; for once in a long time, he was thankful for his Sith training. Memorization and rote learning had been a skill that Palpatine prized. During his youth he had memorized thousands of training courses from the prison on Mustafar where he had been kept by his master. And even though he detested the training, it did now give him the opportunity to sweep over a blueprint and know it by heart within three minutes.

He opened his mind to the Force, freely scanning for any signs that Ahsoka would be nearby. The desperate waves of fear and abandonment he encountered outside the hospital were diminished now, barely a speck on the horizon. And Ahsoka’s signature was dormant, but nearby.

_Still causing me problems, Tano…_ he thought dryly as he continued along. Even after all this time, he wondered if she knew she’d always have him right where she wanted him.

-

For a moment she felt that she could savor the deep, dreamless sleep. No weight, no motion. She could visualize herself floating in the abyss; arms splayed, legs dangling carelessly. For a moment, all sounds, all sight, all touch stopped, and she became untangled _f_ rom herself, drifting further and further from the edge of consciousness. Peaceful. Perfect. 

_Mommy..._

The sound of Zeraa’s cry, so far away, echoed through the Force and shattered her fantasy. Ahsoka felt her heart break with despair as she struggled to come back to herself, to break through the barrier into the living world again. But panic was not the key here, even though the anguish of feeling Zeraa’s pain was enough to move her to hysteria. Focusing her mind, she tried to calm herself into meditation, which could be a pathway out of this stupor. But she was no longer a strict adherent to the Jedi ways-- after a few seconds she grew impatient, and with an uncharacteristic burst of rage, managed to wake herself up.

_Zeraa…_ struggling to focus her eyes, she tried to discern the shapes in the dimmed room around her. She knew that she was heavily drugged; she had been in these states before, when the med droids needed to patch her up at the Jedi temple. But this fatigue was so overwhelming that she hardly remembered the last time she had been this disoriented.

She was lying on a narrow white medical hoverbed, suspended about a meter above the floor. Her jumpsuit was gone, and she was now clad in a thin blue hospital gown, which was exposed above her left breast to reveal the bacta scar. There were electrodes set on her chest, near her heart; tracing these, she found that they were hooked to a heart monitor to her left, which was sounding low and heavy beeps every few seconds. There was an acute discomfort from the large needle taped to her right arm, connected to a IV bag suspended from the ceiling.

The blaster shot wound from earlier had gone straight through her shoulder. She reached for it, feeling the gelatinous touch of a bacta bandage. Two, in fact; one on her front, and one on her back. Although it had been a weak shot, all things considered, the fact that it had been fired close range had been what brought her down. She scowled. If she had done a better job at keeping up with her training, she would not have let herself get injured. 

Ahsoka pushed herself up from the bed, weakly, looking around the room. It was bare of almost any furnishings, save a low table that was built into the wall. There was a small privy and a sink in the far corner. And that was all.

Ahsoka took a few minutes to try to orient herself, try to note what was useful, what could be taken as a weapon. She sat up, her head now starting to throb, and untaped the needle from her arm. She grit her teeth as she slid the needle out, letting it fall to the bed beside her as she rose. She ripped the electrodes off her chest and attempted to leave the bed.

Even the act of climbing down was difficult; _slow_ , she had to tell herself as she put one foot down. She was barefoot, and the cold floor made her shiver as she hurriedly tied the front of her gown together. They had taken away her underclothes as well, and all she had now were plain synthetic shorts and a thin strip of fabric across her breasts. She sighed. _Great..._

A cursory look around the room revealed no hidden compartments or doors; she had been hoping to find her lightsabers, but she knew there was a next-to-nothing chance of the lightsabers even being in the same building. They had been taken and locked away, and now she had to rely only on the Force to defend herself.

_Zeraa…_ she reached out, tried to find her daughter through the Force. It was normally so easy to find Zeraa like this; on Raada, in their little isolated town, Zeraa had always been nearby. Though Zeraa did not quite understand what the Force was, she did know that there was a unique connection between her and Ahsoka. Whenever Ahsoka summoned her, Zeraa would always give her a gentle acknowledgement with her childish mind. 

Now, as she tried to call out to the girl, she could feel nothing; it was as if a wall had been erected between them, preventing all communication from getting through. 

_Why did I have to come back to this place?_ she asked herself angrily. Had it been for nostalgia? For pride? Or to remind herself of the person she had been once?

At that moment, the door to the chamber slid open. Ahsoka noted this, but could hardly react fast enough. She could only stare warily at the human nurse who entered the room with a series of needles on a white tray.

The nurse jumped as she glimpsed Ahsoka standing up straight in the center of the room. “Oh goodness...you’ve given me quite a scare,” she said nervously, setting the needles down on the table. “You shouldn’t be awake yet. Please get back into bed. I have a medicine here that will help you go to sleep.”

Ahsoka backed up towards the bed as the nurse walked towards her with an unconvincing smile. “Just get back into bed, dear. I’ll give you the medicine now.”

Ahsoka straightened and attempted to focus, looking into the nurse’s eyes. “You don’t need to give me any medications,” she said, although she could already feel the mental strain on her body. “You just need to stay in this room and let me leave.”

The nurse stared at her, transfixed for a few seconds, before she spoke. “I don’t need to give you any medications. I just need to stay in this room and let you leave.”

_Still got it._ Ahsoka let herself enjoy a small gloat as she slid past the nurse and turned to leave the room. The nurse had left her lanyard with a keycard on the medication tray, and Ahsoka picked it up and slipped it around her neck. She took a brief glance at the needles on the tray. Besides the regular sedatives, there were also medicines she did not recognize. Besides the commonly used Somaprin, there were also vials labeled H4B, Tranqarest, and Renatyl. 

The nurse, still under the mind trick’s influence, went to sit on the bed while Ahsoka held the keycard up to the scanner. The door slid open and exited, leaving the nurse locked into the room behind her.

She was in a long, starkly white corridor. It was much like other hospitals Ahsoka had been to, save for one unusual fact--there were no doors on either side of the hallway. In fact, it seemed like the only room in the entire corridor was the one she had been kept in. Though she found it strange, she couldn’t spend much time thinking about it--she had to move. Somewhere. Anywhere. 

Though her vision was still shaky, at the end of a corridor she could make out a sign reading _Exit_ . But now, it couldn’t be that easy. _Right?_ She sensed a trap somewhere, but she had no other choice. Barefoot, almost naked, with no weapons, armed only with a key card. And pumped full of an array of sedatives to try to disorient her. 

Ahsoka sighed. She was sure that somewhere in her past she had faced worse odds than these. She had to gather herself up, even though her eyes could barely focus on anything. Still feeling faint, she began to walk down the hallway, putting one foot in front of the other. _Focus…_ she thought, trying to keep her mind sharp. _Where are they keeping Zeraa?_

\--

The elevator door slid open, and Maul stepped out on the fifteenth floor. The hallway to the right led to transparisteel sliding doors emblazoned with the word _Recovery_ , spelled in freshly painted Aurebesh above the entrance. The lighting here was muted and moody, as opposed to the bright lights of the floors below. 

Beyond the transparisteel doors, he could glimpse a dimmed landing area with a circular nurses’ station in the middle. One human nurse sat at the station, looking over a screen. A Mon Calamari nurse emerged from a side room with an armful of datapads, and came over to the station. Both were dressed in the crisp green uniforms of hospital staff. Maul came up just short of the door, out of sight from the station. He sharpened his attention, focused on the conversation he could barely hear through whispers.

“Did you hear about that Togruta woman?” he heard the Mon Calamari nurse ask. “The one that those Imperials were asking about earlier.”

“The one they moved to the Restricted wing?” the human nurse asked. “She’s the one who sliced up that thief earlier today, right?” 

“Yes, that one.” The Mon Calamari nurse paused. Maul could hear the datapads being set down on the table. “Take a look at these.”

There was a brief silence as the other nurse rifled through the files. “Is this an arrest warrant?!” she exclaimed. “What’s the charge? Murder? Wasn’t she trying to protect someone?”

“Officially, it looks like the charge is involuntary termination,” the Mon Calamari nurse said. “But unofficially...look at this…” There was a slight pause, during which they must have started looking at a different datapad. “She was carrying this ID. The identity chip says that her name is Ashla Roshti, from some little moon called Raada…”

“So was it a fake?”

“Looks like it,” the Mon Calamari nurse continued. “Those Imperials got the chip and ran it through their own registry. They wrote up a report and presented it to the head of surgery about an hour ago. Along with this arrest warrant.”

“Damn, what did she do to be wanted by the Empire?”

“It’s in here.” At this point Maul imagined that they were examining the datapad screen again. “See--her real name is Ahsoka Tano.”

Maul scowled. He had known they only had a short window before Ahsoka’s real identity was discovered. And it was too late for that now. The Imperials knew that Ahsoka was here, and who she really was.

There were a few more seconds of silence as the other nurse read. “A Jedi! No way…that explains the lightsabers, huh?”

“Yeah. An Imperial squad is coming to pick her up tonight. That’s what the arrest warrant is for. She’s on the Empire’s Most Wanted List. Top Twenty!”

_An Imperial squad?_ Maul thought. _Shit._ He would make short work of them, to be sure, but he would rather just avoid detection in the first place. He had not come to Naboo for fight practice.

“Hm. I guess that’s why they told us to give her those extra sedatives,” the human nurse commented. “If she’s a Jedi, I bet she’d put up a fight even without those lightsabers.” There was a slight pause. “Wasn’t there someone else with her when she was brought in?”

_Someone else?_ Maul thought, frowning. What the hell were these two talking about? Was Ahsoka traveling with a companion--the aforementioned Zeraa? Judging from the rush of feelings he had witnessed earlier--it was a person with strong, if untrained, Force potential.

“I heard so, too, but I think they got whisked away to the basement cells,” the Mon Calamari nurse said. “Maybe it’s another Jedi.”

“Hm. Isn’t that crazy? _Two_ Jedi? I thought they had all been wiped out years ago.”

Maul scowled. Ahsoka had been discovered, and was now elsewhere in the hospital. The Restricted ward, wherever that was. And now they were working on a tighter timeframe than he had imagined. He rose from his hiding spot, having gleaned all the knowledge he could from the nurses’ conversation. He stalked off, eyes staring straight ahead, as he turned over the new information in his mind.

-

This was a farce. She had been trained for years as a Jedi, had fought against some of the most powerful adversaries in the galaxy, had commanded clone troopers in combat. And now she found herself without weapons, without clothes, with nothing. The healing wound on her shoulder throbbed with pain, and she was unable to even carry herself as her head pounded, leaving her to clutch the wall in support. _Pathetic, Tano...._

The Exit door had been a dead end; it had a control panel that did not respond to the keycard, and though she tried, she could not summon the mental energy to wrench the door open on her own. She had walked down the long corridor from the hospital room, turning a corner. All she encountered were more of the same, white corridors, each with one door set along the hallway. Ahsoka tried the keycard at each one, and each room she entered was just like the one she had awoken in. Featureless, with nothing to identify them and no items she could utilize. 

She had already tried a fourth door before she heard the familiar sounds of combat droids. They were on her before she realized; her senses were dulled, her reactions slow. She turned and saw two Battle Droids marching down the hallway, straight towards her, with blasters drawn.

Ahsoka scowled. She had been able to use the Jedi mind trick on the nurse, but these were droids. No, she was going to have to use her own strength. Battle droids like these were just not difficult to terminate, but it was irritating all the same.

“Patient, what are you doing outside your room?” one of the droids asked. When Ahsoka didn’t answer, it turned to its partner. “Let’s take her back.”

“Roger, roger,” the other droid said. The two droids hefted their blasters before beginning a swift, synchronized march down the hallway. 

Ahsoka raised her hand. It had been so long since she had done this that she almost thought she had forgotten. But with one quick thought, the droids were knocked back off their feet, slammed into the wall in the back of the corridor. She had taken out thousands of these droids during the Clone Wars, and she wasn’t going to allow herself to be taken out by such fodder.

However, although she still felt weak, she could also hear the approaching footsteps in the distance. Not droids this time.

Stormtroopers.

She felt her breathing getting shallow as she listened, using her montrals to judge the distance and quantity.

At least twenty. Two corridors away.

Although she felt like a coward, she turned and stumbled in the opposite direction, going as fast as her legs could carry her--which wasn’t fast. She fell to the ground, feeling utterly useless as the footsteps only grew closer. Normally, with her lightsabers, she would not have been scared to take on these troops. But with no weapons, and with minimal Force energy, she knew she was not fit to do.

She couldn’t even tell which way she had been walking. The nondescript white corridors were a maze of confusion and as Ahsoka ran down one of the corridors, she realized that she was coming upon the same Exit door that she had encountered before. Ahsoka found herself at a dead end; Sinking to the floor in front of the door, she saw the squad of stormtroopers turn the corner in the distance. She had been right; there were around twenty of them, jogging down the corridor with increasing urgency.

The hallway was spinning as her head pounded. There was no place to hide; she had no weapons, and she was cornered now. 

“There she is!” one of them called out. “Weapons set to stun!”

Startled, she fell back. A sudden and distinct feeling suddenly came over her; she felt a tingling down the back of her spine as she pressed her back to the door, panting, looking up at the stormtroopers. It felt strange but familiar, as if something from her past was rising to her consciousness. 

But she could not pay the feeling too much mind at this moment. She had no strength left. Drained of her mental energy, sedated, with nothing to defend herself. _This can’t be how it ends…_ she thought desperately. _My child..._

She fell to the ground, unable to stand as the doors slid open behind her. 

-

Maul had taken a few more elevators up to where the blueprint had indicated the Restricted ward would be. Wandering down increasingly annoying hallways of doors, he had taken a side stairwell to get to a large sliding door with a control panel. Even though his main prerogative had been stealth, Maul found himself sufficiently irritated to ignite his lightsaber, slamming it into the control panel in a sign of impatience. The door yielded, and its two panels slid open before, revealing the tense scene ahead.

Lying there, right in front of him, was a shattered-looking Ahsoka. Legs askew, barefoot, hands braced against the floor for support, panting in exhaustion. He felt his hearts move as he laid eyes on her, eyes widening as she turned her head to glance behind her.

Ahsoka, for her part, thought she might have been hallucinating. Perhaps this was the end of her, after all--after the exhaustion and fatigue would come the dreams, the delirium. The insanity.

In her peripheral vision she could see the tall outline of a man clad in black, with familiar red skin and black tattoos, holding a double bladed lightsaber. She sighed to herself; now she was just seeing things. And of all the things she could hallucinate, _Maul_ had to be one of them. The stormtroopers were getting closer and closer, and all her mind could conjure were useless memories of someone she had left behind, so long ago.

Maul moved closer to her. He wanted nothing more than to gather Ahsoka into his arms, but the stormtroopers running down the long hallway needed to be dealt with. He knelt down, behind Ahsoka, putting hand against her shoulder as the other hand still gripped the double bladed lightsaber, which remained ignited “Stay _still_ ,” he whispered. 

Ahsoka, on the verge of unconsciousness, could only nod her head. Here she was, answering to someone who didn’t exist. Perhaps it no longer mattered--she would listen to this phantom. There was no other hope left in the situation.

In another moment Maul had leaped in front of her, cloak flaring as he spun the lightsaber deftly in his hands. In half a second he had traversed the length of the corridor to meet the stormtroopers, ready to fell his prey. It had been a while since he had participated in hand to hand combat like this; and even though he would have preferred adversaries that presented more of a challenge, he wouldn’t complain at these easy kills.

It was short work. The stormtroopers had not expected to see anything like this; most of them stopped, staring, before finally coming to their senses and raising their blasters.

Maul danced around them easily, sidestepping, parrying, and striking them down, either with a traditional swing or by plunging the saber into their chests. The stormtroopers continued to try to fight back, but Maul twisted and dodged as he deflected their oncoming blaster shots, as light as a feather on the wind. The work was completed in minutes; at last, the final stormtrooper clattered to the floor, his body still smoking.

Maul turned back, adrenaline still pumping through his veins. Ahsoka had been watching as he had fought the troops off, but her attention was mostly inward-focused. She had finally collapsed, only clinging to consciousness, her lekku trailing against the floor as she lay on her stomach, knees folded, in a fetal position.

He rushed over to her, kneeling down as he gathered her up into his arms. 

“You aren’t real,” she whispered, looking up into his eyes. “This…”

“You need to trust me,” he said swiftly, helping her sit up. “This is real. I am here.”

Maul hadn’t anticipated that this was how he would find her after six years of wondering, thinking, speculating about why she had left him, and where she had gone. Prone against the floor of a hospital, drugged, hallucinating. 

What had these people reduced her to?

She was in a faint now as he swung her legs over his arms, her head lolling against his chest. Clad only in a thin hospital gown, he could feel her shiver faintly as he walked back down the hallway, from the path he’d just taken. He knew that guards would soon be on their way. If he had been alone, it would not have concerned him to take on all of them. It had been some time since he’d actually used his lightsaber, and he could stand to get in more practice with this fodder.

But now, with Ahsoka in this condition, he needed to get her to safety as soon as he could. He hurried back down the stairwell from which he had come up from. If he could remember correctly, if he got out on the eleventh floor, he would soon encounter a service elevator that would take him directly to the cargo bay.

His hunch had been correct. As soon as he emerged into the darkened hallway on the eleventh floor, he spied the elevator in an unsuspecting alcove. He knelt down again, laying Ahsoka against the floor as he pulled out his comlink.

“Zeepio,” he said quickly. “Change of plans. Meet by the loading bay near the east exit.”

-

Ahsoka was dreaming again. 

About Zeraa.

Ahsoka and her child had been inseparable since the day she was born. In their small farming community, they had been welcomed and integrated so fully that she couldn’t have imagined them living anywhere else. They spent each day together, Zeraa playing in the fields while Ahsoka did her repair work. They would help their neighbors harvest crops, do chores around their small house, and prepare all their meals together. And even on those days that Ahsoka did question her choices, or where her path in life had taken her, all it took was one mischievous smile from Zeraa to know that she was where she needed to be.

Until now. 

Now, she awoke against a hard, cold seat inside a transport, shaking and moving as it kicked into gear. She was still breathing heavy as Maul hovered over her, wrapping his black cloak around her thinly-covered body as if it was a blanket.

She looked up, eyes wide in disbelief. “Maul,” she said, with just a glimmer of recognition. So she hadn’t been hallucinating him. But she could scarcely believe that this whole situation had been real to begin with. Why was he here…?

“I have you, Tano,” Maul said wryly, leaning over her. “It’s over. You are in my care now.” She looked like she was still in a state of incoherence. But at least he had retrieved her. Perhaps she would be _his_ , again. For a short time, anyway.

“Maul,” she said again simply, not quite believing it herself. And then a realization. “ _Zeraa…?_ ” She struggled to sit up now, her eyes glassy and unfocused as she leaned up into his arms, grasping his forearms in fright. “We need to go back...”

_That name again._ “I think that was quite enough trouble for one night,” Maul hissed, his voice rising in irritation. That had been the same name he had heard Ahsoka whisper to him through the Force, earlier in the day when she had been injured in the marketplace. “Perhaps when you’ve healed, you can--”

_“No.”_ Even in her diminished state, Ahsoka still managed to find some strength. Her eyes were wide with panic as she dug her nails into Maul’s arm. “Maul. You need to get her.”

_Delirious._ “And just who is this Zeraa?” he asked angrily. “Is she so important that you would risk being captured by the Empire to retrieve her?”

“Maul...” Ahsoka felt herself slipping again. Even though she hadn’t been sure she would ever see Maul again in her lifetime, she had imagined this moment many times. She thought about all the things she needed to say, the explanations she had to give. But no...she wasn’t ready to tell Maul about his relationship to Zeraa yet. That deserved a full conversation, not a breathless revelation while she was pleading with him to save her.

She sat up and reached out to Maul, grasping the neckline of his tunic, pulling him closer. “She’s my daughter,” she whispered, eyes closed, trying not to slip into the darkness again.

“Daughter?” Maul echoed, genuinely taken aback. “Tano…” his voice trailed. It should have been obvious. Just from the way Ahsoka had asked about her, why she had echoed the name through the Force--she had done it with the unconditional love of a parent for their child. He never imagined that Ahsoka would ever take on the role of a mother, but it had also been six years since he had seen her. So much had happened between now and then.

“I didn’t take you for the type,” he said shortly. He gently laid her back down onto the seat. “Don’t fear. We will return for her.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of things over here! 
> 
> The sedatives that were given to Ahsoka will be explained in the next chapter. It’s not a huge revelation or anything, but it’ll explain why she wasn’t able to use the Force to defend herself or find Zeraa.
> 
> Also I’m not really sure if lanyards actually exist in Star Wars, I’m sure they do, somehow…
> 
> Also, no flashbacks this chapter. I feel like this chapter needed to all action with no slowness. But they will resume when things are a little less dire.
> 
> In the next chapter, Maul is going to be in for a bit of a surprise!
> 
> Anyway, hope this was cool for you all. This fanfic has turned into a little bit of a slow burn, but I really wanted to build up an atmosphere before each part of the story. Hurrying and rushing through important scenes is never something I like doing. As always, I welcome constructive criticism, comments, and general ramblings about Maul, Ahsoka, and any other Star Wars things in general :)


	4. The Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After rescuing Ahsoka from the hospital, Maul must now find and locate Zeraa--Ahsoka's previously unknown daughter. When he does find her, confusion is the first emotion he starts to experience.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Grounds of Theed Hospital, Naboo.**

Ahsoka had slipped back into unconsciousness again, more profoundly than before. The stress of her escape, combined with the sedatives she had been kept on, had exhausted her immensely. She was breathing deeply and evenly, but she did not stir. Maul wrapped his cloak tightly around her. It was clear that the sedatives were having some effects on the midi-chlorians in her bloodstream, blocking them out somehow. This had been the reason why he had not perceived her strongly through the Force.

Maul arranged her against the seat, laying her hands against her chest as the transport ambled onto the service road near the hospital. _At least I have her now_ , he thought to himself, although his mind was ablaze with questions. 

_A daughter._

Out of all the things he might have expected Ahsoka to say, he never would have anticipated this. He had never stopped to think that, in the intervening years since their last meeting, perhaps Ahsoka might have settled down or started a family. Ahsoka had never seemed the type of person to want anything like that, really. But then again--he did not know her as well as he liked to remember. And after all this time they were near strangers to each other again.

His mind whirled with the possibilities. Perhaps she had married, and her partner was also out looking for her. Or not--he wasn’t sure about any of her circumstances, and she was not in a position to explain. But he did have to admit to himself that, if this were the case, he needed to accept it. And no matter what, he needed to fulfill Ahsoka’s request. 

He turned his attention back to the new plan: locate and extract Zeraa. Zeepio, at the wheel of the transport, had started to speed up slightly. “Drive slowly,” Maul hissed to her. He was acutely aware that the chaos in the hospital had probably all been unraveled now; that the stormtroopers he had killed in the hospital had been found, and the Imperials had discovered that Ahsoka was now missing. More Imperial troops were surely on their way. 

But if they attempted to speed away from the crime scene, they would immediately give themselves up as suspicious. A slow-moving civilian transport driving through a university campus could probably slip out fairly easily--the Imperials would be focusing their energies on the hospital. And if it came down to it, there were hidden compartments in the back of the transport.

But now he had to figure out where the child was possibly being kept. Maul thought back to the discussion he’d overheard earlier, between the nurses. _The basement cells._ They had mentioned this place as the location where Ahsoka’s companion was being held. He activated the holo-visualizer, watching as the three dimensional model of the hospital compound flickered into view. He scanned the lower levels of the hospital, looking for any type of holding chamber, or small set of rooms. His eyes swept over the blueprints, analyzing and querying. 

Finally he discovered it; a small group of hallways with rooms that had been partitioned into tiny cells. To get there, they would need to take a shortcut through an underground service tunnel located near the kitchen delivery area. Maul looked up. “Zeepio, follow these directions,” he began, as he began to dictate the turns they would need to take to get closer.

In a few minutes, they had driven past the kitchen delivery dock, dipping down into what looked like an underground parking station that had only contained a few small transports and speeders. At the far corner, another tunnel came into view. Maul frowned. The tunnel was smaller than the blueprints indicated. It would be a tight squeeze for the transport, and there was no space to turn around. 

“I’ll walk the rest of the way by foot,” he said to the droid. “Park the transport here and wait for me. If any Imperial transports approach, hide Ahsoka in the back chambers.” He ordinarily would have put her in the compartments to begin with, but the hidden chambers were little more than lockers, only to be used in extreme situations. Ahsoka would be very displeased if he tried now, he was sure.

“Yes, sir,” Zeepio answered. 

Maul looked back to Ahsoka. Even though he knew that she was totally unconscious, he whispered the thought to her through the Force. _I will find her._

He exited the transport, looking around before heading into the tunnel entrance. It was dark, but not entirely obscured; there were dim, blue colored lamps located on either side of the tunnel, casting an ethereal glow to the entire setting.

As Maul descended, he started to feel the traces of despair and abandonment that he had gathered earlier. _So it was the child_ , he thought as he moved forward. It was strange that Maul had been able to feel her. They had never even met, but it seemed like she was broadcasting her feelings freely, even if she did not have enough control of the Force to reply to him. 

After about twenty minutes of walking down a gently sloping road, he was able to locate the small side door that would lead to the inner cells. There was another control panel here, but Maul decided not to risk triggering an alarm by smashing it. He retrieved his lightsaber from the pocket built into his tunic, and activated only one side of it.

He used his lightsaber to cut a large hole through the door; although it took a few minutes, he was not in the mood to try and find an alternative. Stepping through the hole he’d cut, he found himself in a darkened passage. Unlike the starkly-lit corridor with white walls where he had found Ahsoka, this place seemed like a more traditional prison; it was dimly lit, the walls and ceilings painted with a dark greenish color that seemed to absorb light. 

The feelings of anxiety and hopelessness grew even more overwhelming as he continued down the corridor, coming upon a couple of different hallways he could walk down. It was like a maze, and he tried to hone in on the source of the distressed signature. After a few more turns down other lengthy passageways, he finally located the one where the signature was strongest. He walked plaintively down through the passage, noting the doors on either side. There were small viewing windows built into each door, and as he passed he noted that each one was dark and empty. Except for one, at the end of the hall--a small light flickered through the frosted transparisteel.

He again ignited his lightsaber and began to bore a hole through the door. Now he could feel the anxiety and sadness coming within the cell quickly turn to horror, which wasn’t an emotion that surprised him--he imagined that any child inside would feel frightened seeing a lightsaber suddenly emerge through a solid wall. And horror was an emotion he frequently aroused in people.

After a few minutes, he was able to take the remaining central portion off the door, laying it on the wall next to the cell. He turned back to the cell and stepped inside.

 _Here is Ahsoka’s daughter._

A small child was on the thin cot, frozen still, with a blanket pulled close around her. At Maul’s entrance she sat up, startled, clutching a stuffed bantha close to her chest. Maul stepped into the chamber, acutely aware that the feelings of hopelessness and terror only increased at his appearance. _She thinks I’m here to hurt her._

“Zeraa,” he said firmly. 

The girl raised her head, her face still partially obscured by the hood of the blanket. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked up at him. Maul was used to this expression. With stark red skin, black tattoos all over his body, his black clothing, and his horns, he was the perfect version of what many cultures termed a demon. He had seen people of power and legacy pale at the sight of him. He expected a small child to be utterly terrified. 

“Are you Zeraa?” he asked again, trying to keep his voice low. He knew that it had to be Zeraa, but he needed her to affirm that as well.

The girl, still shaking, nodded slowly. 

“You need to get up. You’re coming with me.”

The girl looked up slightly, her eyes widening. “W-where?”

Maul sighed. He wasn’t used to being questioned and kept waiting. As the leader of Crimson Dawn, people usually did as they were told when it came to his orders. Immediately. “There’s no time to explain. Get up.”

The girl looked up at him, unmoving, her eyes still blank with fear.

Maul was beginning to lose his patience. “Your mother is with me. If you don’t start moving, I doubt you’ll see her again.”

“She is?!” Zeraa said, perking up immediately. She turned her face up to him, taking the blanket off her head. “Okay...I’ll go...”

Now it was Maul’s turn to be shocked as he took full note of the girl’s physical appearance. _A half-Togruta child?_ he thought fleetingly. He had not really known what to expect, but for some reason he had imagined that the child would be fully Togruta, as Ahsoka was. But it was now clear that the little girl was of mixed species descent. And although he tried to stifle it, he felt his hearts start to beat faster as he got a better look at her.

Zeraa had inherited her facial features from Ahsoka--that was certain. The shape of her nose and eyes, the white markings set delicately on her face, and the blue and white montrals and lekku. But there were two striking things about her--namely, her bright red skin color, a tone which Maul did not observe normally in Togrutas. The other irregularity was the small crown of horns that encircled the front of her montrals, framing her forehead like a small tiara.

Maul stared at her for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what exactly he was looking at. A small thought, totally uncalled for until that moment, twisted its way into his mind.

_Who is this girl’s father?_

The small horns, the red skin. _Is this…?_ His thoughts flickered back to the few weeks he and Ahsoka had spent on Bogano after escaping from the star destroyer. Could there have been some chance that…?

 _No._ He needed to shut down that line of thinking immediately. Even entertaining the thought was absurd and delusional--there was literally nothing organic left of him below the waist. There had been nothing left of him to give…

_Then why does she have those horns? That skin color?_

He was broken out of his reverie by Zeraa, who was looking up at him curiously. She was still trembling, but the determination in her voice was palpable. “Please,” she whispered. “Are you gonna take me to my mom?”

Maul sighed. He would have to ponder these quandaries at a later time. Now he would have to shift his focus to getting them out of the passage and back to the transport. “Yes, I will take you to her,” he said. He noted her disheveled appearance; her dress was dirty and dusty, and there were several bloody scrapes on her knees. “Are you injured? Can you walk?”

Zeraa nodded. “I’m okay,” she whispered. “I can walk.”

“Then come.” 

The little girl rose from the cot, hurrying over to the door. Maul stepped back through the doorway, Zeraa following him, clutching her stuffed bantha. “Follow me,” Maul instructed, and Zeraa nodded.

As they made their way down the passage, Maul felt a small hand grasp his. He looked down, surprised to see that Zeraa had taken the initiative to do so. She had seemed so frightened and terrified when he first entered the room that he was certain she would stay as far from him as she could. His first inclination was to let go; it was such an unfamiliar feeling that it caught him off guard. But as he held her hand within his, he felt a slight decline in the negative feelings he had gleaned from Zeraa earlier. 

Maul was not used to his presence being soothing or pacifying, but it did seem like the girl was calming down a little bit. He supposed he could tolerate this hand-holding at least until they reached the tunnel area. Besides--it would be easier for her to keep up with him this way, as she seemed quite small, though he couldn’t be sure how old she was.He strode forwards and Zeraa picked up her step. 

He could now begin to discern some sort of presence approaching, from above. They would need to make a quick escape. “Come, we need to move faster.” He broke into a light jog, though they couldn’t move very fast due to Zeraa’s small feet. It was only a few more passageways to the service door. But as they turned one of the corners, the familiar gait of approaching stormtroopers sounded in the distance. Maul scowled. “Child, stay behind me,” he said, as Zeraa crouched down, watching the scene with scared eyes. 

A small group of stormtroopers appeared at the end of the passage. “There they are!” As soon as the blaster shots began, Maul ignited his double saber to block. In five seconds he had leapt and advanced down the length of the corridor, applying two quick slices to the troopers in front of him, who fell instantly. The other troopers tried to shoot at close range, but made the mistake of standing in formation, in what was essentially a straight line. With one horizontal strike, their helmets slid off their necks, their decapitated bodies slumping to the floor.

 _Just these?_ Maul thought absently. _All too easy._

He turned and advanced back down the passage, looking down only to find that Zeraa was not there. He felt his hearts seem to stop as he ran, in a slight trepidation, down the passage. 

All of a sudden he heard a muffled cry. Turning the corner and sprinting down another passage, he saw that a stormtrooper had snatched Zeraa from where she had been crouching. The trooper was running down the hallway with the girl in his arms as she kicked and screamed. “Please, help!” In one swift move Maul appeared behind him, his lightsaber slamming into the man’s left shoulder, away from the arm he held Zeraa by. 

The trooper winced in pain as he dropped to the floor, Zeraa tumbling out of his grasp. Now Maul could complete the task. He put a boot against the main’s chest and plunged the saber into his stomach. The trooper groaned, and then lay still.

 _Well, that was annoying,_ he thought. “Girl, are you…”

Zeraa had pushed herself against the wall opposite the dead stormtrooper, shaking and trembling in fright as she struggled to catch her breath. Her eyes were wide with horror as she stared at the smoking body of the trooper in front of her.

Maul extinguished his double bladed saber quickly, then knelt down in front of the horrified girl. “Are you hurt?” he asked simply. “Come, let’s go.”

Zeraa hugged the bantha to her as she looked up to Maul with frightened eyes. “Are they dead?” she managed to stammer out as her eyes wandered down to the lightsaber he held in his hand. All the negative feelings she had been emanating before seemed to slide back into the atmosphere.

Maul sighed. He had killed so many people in his lifetime that it just seemed like a casual occurrence at this point. “Yes, they’re dead. I killed them.”

She was still breathing heavily, staring at him. She had begun, once again, to radiate those strong feelings of terror and confusion. “Did you kill them ‘cause of me?”

“I did,” Maul said, not even attempting to alleviate the words he was using. “They were trying to recapture you. I am protecting you.” 

“But you hurt them...”

“Child, I promised your mother that I would find you and return you safely. I _will_ kill anyone who tries to take you from me.” He had promised as much to Ahsoka, and he was going to deliver.

Zeraa looked up at him, with wide, tearstained eyes. “If you don’t wish to cause more deaths today, we need to leave before anyone comes. I will surely kill them as well,” Maul said firmly. He was aware that his words were coming off callously, but he was unused to making situations like these more palatable. He could only call it out for what it was--a guardian protecting their ward. 

He stood up, expecting the little girl to rise. But Zeraa remained frozen to the floor, panting, looking in terror at the dead stormtrooper who lay just a few feet away. “I...don’t wanna see them…” she explained, shaking her head. She was on the verge of hyperventilating, her breaths coming in shallowly, her voice hoarse.

Maul thought ahead -- there were also decapitated stormtroopers in the passage they would need to traverse to get to the tunnel. In any other situation he would have pulled her up and marched her past the dead bodies, sensitivity be damned. But another look at her crying, tearful eyes, and he knew he had to use another solution. The child had seen enough trauma for a lifetime at this point.

“Close your eyes,” he commanded. “I will carry you.” 

Zeraa hesitated for a few seconds before she did as he asked. Maul reached down and scooped her up easily, swinging her legs over his arms. Zeraa buried her head into Maul’s shoulder, eyes squeezed tight, still holding the bantha. Now this was something he was totally unused to. He had never carried a child in his arms, and wasn’t used to supporting someone so small. But there was a method to carrying her that he soon figured out--body slightly bent, legs to the side, Zeraa’s head against his chest.

They made their way down the passageway, Maul deftly stepping over the stormtrooper who had grabbed Zeraa. He jogged down the length of the next passage, where he sidestepped the headless troopers easily. 

_At her age, I wasn’t scared of such things_ , he thought. But he had to remind himself that at his age, he was already well-accustomed to killing and muder. From infancy he had been trained by a Sith lord in assassintation techniques on a remote lava planet. He had become so used to death at such a young age that it had made him cold to emotion. But these were the first killings that Zeraa had ever seen. And he had done it to protect her. No doubt it that these thoughts would have petrified her. He had been unable to understand the concept of childhood innocence being suddenly stripped away, but he soon realized that it had happened to Zeraa much sooner than it should have.

Now, as Zeraa cowered against him, he knew that her childhood had been nothing like the childhood that he had experienced with Palpatine. Although he did not know what Ahsoka was like as a mother, he could presume from Zeraa’s constant questions that they seemed to be very attached to each other. The relationship seemed tender and caring--what most parental relationships should be, and what his hadn’t been. Ahsoka would have shielded her from scenes such as these. 

They finally reached the broken door that led out into the main tunnel. Zeraa had shifted slightly in his arms, her head now just under Maul’s chin. He looked down at her. She was still nestled into his side, breathing raggedly, head turned away from the sight of death. She reminded him of Ahsoka in this moment, especially since he had just carried her in the same way only an hour before.

“You will soon be secure,” he said softly. He usually would not have bothered to say anything, but he sensed a strong pull to say reassuring words. “You may open your eyes if you wish.” Zeraa opened her eyes cautiously, looking around them to make sure they were clear of the passage. Satisfied, she dropped her head into Maul’s shoulder with a light sigh.

They walked in silence for a few paces before Zeraa finally said something. “Did you feel my thoughts before?” she whispered, in a small voice.

Maul frowned, but said nothing. This wasn’t the time for idle chatter, and people rarely started conversations with him to begin with.

“Before,” Zeraa continued, looking down. “When I was upset. I tried to find Mom by thinking about her...but I couldn’t.” 

In her own uninformed, childish manner she was talking about using the Force. Even though Maul was not predisposed to talk, he decided to answer her. “Your mother was given a number of sedatives. I presume some of them may have reduced her capacity to use the Force for a limited time.” He wasn’t sure if she understood any of that, but he also wasn’t going to try to make things simpler for a child.

“But I found someone else,” Zeraa continued, as if she hadn’t heard his last comment. “Was it you?”

Maul nodded. “Yes, it was,” he said. “I sensed that you were in distress.”

Zeraa looked up. “Thank you for coming to get me,” she said softly. “I was scared...that they were going to take Mom away. And I wasn’t gonna see her again.”

Maul found himself replying again. “There’s no need to fear. You will not be separated from her.”

They walked in silence for a few more minutes. Zeraa’s breathing had evened out slowly, until she was finally able to take in a long, needed breath of air. “It was just hard to breathe back there,” she explained quietly. “My hearts were beating too fast.”

Maul narrowed his eyes. This just got more and more interesting. “Hearts?”

“Mmm,” Zeraa mumbled in affirmation. “Mommy only has one,” she continued. “But I have two.”

“Well, then we have something in common.”

“Really?” Zeraa looked up at him, finally distracted from the carnage they had left behind. “You have two hearts?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

Maul tilted his head. “Every individual of my species has two hearts,” he said, still unsure why he was answering this child’s inane questions at all. 

Zeraa frowned. “Does that mean I’m your species?”

Maul paused. “I wouldn’t know such things,” he said quietly. “You’ll have to ask your mother later.”

“Mm,” Zeraa mumbled, eyes fluttering down in thought. Then up again, looking up at Maul with curiosity. “Can I listen?”

“To what?”

“To your hearts?”

 _What an odd thing to ask_. He hesitated for a few seconds. “You may,” he finally said, admitting that there was no harm in it. “You should be able to hear them easily.” She was Togruta, after all--her montrals were able to pick sounds several meters away.

“Okay,” the girl said softly. “Hm…” Zeraa tentatively pressed her head against the black fabric of Maul’s chest, growing quiet for a few seconds. Maul looked down at her. It was a strange sensation to have someone listening for his heartbeats so earnestly. Only one other person had done that before--Ahsoka. He supposed that maybe Zeraa had inherited Ahsoka’s penchant for curiosity.

Zeraa’s face brightened presently. “Wow, I can hear them!” Her mouth curled into a small smile. “See, they’re going...thump-thump...thump-thump...thump-thump...” She looked up at him again. “I never met anyone else with two hearts before.” 

Seeing that smile moved some emotions inside him that he wasn’t aware he had. “Well, now you may say that you have,” Maul answered.

“But I don’t know your name yet.”

Maul hesitated. When an inferior addressed him, it was always as Lord Maul, or _sir_. Neither of which seemed appropriate for this child to use. “You may refer to me as Maul.” 

Zeraa nodded. “Okay, Maul,” she said brightly. “You may refer to _me_ as Zeraa.”

“Understood,” Maul said simply, though he was amused. She laid her head back down to his chest and pressed her montrals to the fabric, still listening for the heartbeats. He had expected her to tire of listening after a few more minutes, but Zeraa seemed fascinated. As they walked on, up the gently sloping road, he could slowly feel her anxious feelings start to dissipate. The confusion, the fear that she had been broadcasting through the Force were seemingly melting away into a relaxed calmness, tamed by the constant sounds of the two heartbeats.

Maul decided not to interfere with this; as long as she was calming down and keeping quiet, he could put up with it. But he had to admit to himself...something about this girl was disarming him completely. A protective feeling was quickly rising up inside of him, something he could not explain for a girl he had only met a few minutes ago. _A girl who looks like Ahsoka but has features like mine…_ he thought absently. What could the explanation possibly be?

The most viable explanation would be that Ahsoka had taken a Zabrak lover who bore a resemblance to Maul--except that bright red skin was not common to Zabraks, either. Though this was the most plausible thought, it still pained him to consider it. If only this child had been anything else--half-human, half-Twi’lek, literally anything else--he could have looked past it. But she was clearly half-Zabrak, and it was maddening to try to figure out how she existed.

 _She must have taken a lover who was whole this time, not half a person like I am._ But the more he looked at her, the more confusing it became. Even if she had let a Zabrak get her pregnant, the similarities between them were absurdly difficult to ignore. But it was still impossible. Once Ahsoka was coherent again, he would need to have a long conversation with her.

Through the inner turmoil, he also realized that somewhere along the way, his method of carrying Zeraa had become something more of an embrace, especially with Zeraa still pressed against him, still listening. Looking down at her, Maul realized that the atmosphere around them had totally changed. Feelings of trust and fondness were now radiating out of Zera’s Force signature, enveloping them like a light blanket. 

Maul found himself surprised at this reaction. He elicited several reactions from the people around him, but trust had never been one of them. No one ever really trusted him. His most loyal supporters were always ready to betray him at a moment’s notice. And he knew that Ahsoka didn’t trust him completely. But Zeraa’s simple, childish belief was another thing entirely. 

“But I knew you were telling the truth,” Zeraa said out loud. 

Maul looked down at her in surprise.

“I don’t know why...but sometimes I can hear what people are thinking,” Zeraa explained. “You were telling the truth. You’re gonna take me to my mom. So I know that I can trust you.”

Maul felt the corners of his mouth twitch, though he caught himself before an actual smile came though. “It appears that you are strong in the Force,” he said reflectively. “One day you might learn how to wield it properly.”

The bright lights of the parking station were starting to come into view, beyond the curve of the tunnel ahead. Maul contemplated putting the girl down and letting her walk; they had passed the dead bodies in the passage nearly twenty minutes ago. But Zeraa was clinging to him tightly now, and he did not have the drive to put her down. _Fine_ , he thought. He could carry her the rest of the way. Zeraa had lapsed into a calm silence, her own breathing balanced by the steady sound of his heartbeats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahah it was a little difficult for me to write this chapter! I always want to try to keep Maul in character, so I kept thinking to myself...how would he actually act if he met a kid? I figured he would be cold and kind of condescending, so I tried to write him sort of like that. The only twist is that this kid kind of looks like him, so...he's also confused and not really sure how to act.
> 
> I tried to get to this middle place where he's thinking: 1) I have to be this kid's father, she has my skin color, horns, and two hearts and 2) I can't be this kid's father, it's biologically impossible since I have no lower half. So his head is kind of in two places right now.
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It took a while for me to settle on the angle of the two hearts as their main talking point. I tried to think, well, what is a really calming sound that someone can make naturally? Heartbeats can be pretty calming. Luckily, Zeraa has two to listen to :)
> 
> As always, I appreciate comments and constructive criticism, and just any thoughts about Maul or Ahsoka or Star Wars in general. Thank you for reading.


	5. Safety

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the present, Maul reunites Ahsoka with Zeraa, and the three talk briefly about the capture and rescue. Ahsoka and Maul still have serious matters to discuss regarding the child, but it needs to wait. 
> 
> In the past, Maul and Ahsoka land on Bogano and begin to explore their temporary shelter, trying to figure out if they'll be able to stand each other and for how long.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Underground Parking Station at Theed Hospital, Naboo.**

Ahsoka shifted slightly, letting out a groan. Even though the sedatives still retained their potent effect over her, she was gaining a little more coherence back--for now, at least. Little by little, her Force powers were returning, though it would be some time before she was fully back to normal. But she had gained enough strength that she could start to pull herself back from the void, motivated in part by the tangible presence of Zeraa, who she could feel was coming closer and closer. With Maul.

The relief of seeing Zeraa was the first thing on her mind. There had been several moments when she thought that she would never lay eyes on her daughter again. And if it hadn’t been for Maul’s intervention--she would not have. Ahsoka would have been a captive of the Empire, and who knew what they had in store for a Force-sensitive child like Zeraa? It wasn’t something Ahsoka could linger on for too long; the possibilities of being separated from her were too painful, and she was thankful that a severance would not come to pass. In the few years between the end of the Clone Wars and now, Zeraa had become the center of her world, keeping Ahsoka steady and anchored to the universe around her.

But after she sifted through these feelings of relief, there was also a caveat. She knew that Maul would have questions for her later. Several questions. It would have only taken him one glance at Zeraa to know that she was _his_ . Nevermind that it would be an impossible conception to begin with--the red skin and horns would betray Zeraa’s heritage immediately. Still--Ahsoka felt heartened that perhaps--maybe--she would have some assistance in figuring out how Zeraa existed. And what she really _was_. Although she knew it would require a rather uncomfortable conversation to begin with.

She could hear the protocol droid fussing in the front seat of the transport. “I believe Lord Maul has returned.” 

A few seconds later the door slid open, and Maul appeared in the entrance with Zeraa clinging to him, still holding her stuffed bantha with one hand. He saw Ahsoka’s partially opened eyes looking up at them. “Here she is, Tano,” he said, gently setting Zeraa down on the floor. “As far as I can tell, she is unharmed.”

“Mommy!” Zeraa cried, running over to Ahsoka immediately, eyes full of both fright and relief.

 _Zeraa_. Though she was still greatly weakened from the sedatives, Ahsoka sat up slightly to reach out to her. Seeing Zeraa safe brought back a flood of emotions. Although she could not describe the relief she felt at that moment--knowing that Zeraa was secure after a period of intense danger--she tried her best to put her thoughts into a feeling. Even though her Force signature still felt weak, she hoped that Zeraa was close enough to understand. There was the inevitable joy and relief that the girl was safe and that they were reunited. But underneath that layer of happiness there was also fear and guilt. “There you are, silly girl,” she whispered as Zeraa slid into her arms.

Zeraa buried her head into Ahsoka’s shoulder. “Mommy...I missed you,” she said softly. “I thought I wasn’t gonna see you again.”

Ahsoka was still moving slowly, but managed to wrap her arms around Zeraa. “I missed you too, sweethearts.” Zeraa pulled back a little, and Ahsoka brought a hand to Zeraa’s cheek, smoothing her hand over the girl’s face. “I was worried,” she admitted. “I was afraid that you had been taken away from me. I wasn’t able to protect you...”

“But you did, Mom!” Zeraa yelled enthusiastically. “You saved me from that bad guy earlier. With your lightsabers...”

Maul had gone over to Zeepio’s driver seat. “We’ll need to appear casual and unhurried. Drive as such. Plot an alternate route back to the house in case anyone tries to follow us.”

“Yes sir,” Zeepio responded, revving up the engine and starting the transport.

“And call ahead to the residence. Tell Qin and Xi’an to make sure they have the spare room set up with the medical equipment and the 2-1B droid.” He took another glance at Zeraa, who was still talking to Ahsoka intently. “And tell them to make another spare bedroom ready as well. We’ll be having two unexpected guests.”

Having given the necessary instructions, Maul joined the girls in the back of the transport, sitting across from the bench that Ahsoka lay on. Zeraa was crouching over her mother, leaning forwards over the seat. “I was worried...” Zeraa continued. “When you got hurt, we went to the hospital. But then those weird guys took you away. And put me in this little room…”

Ahsoka frowned. “Did they hurt you? Did they do anything to you?”

“Well...I scraped my knees when I fell.”

“But is that it? Did anyone try to come for you?”

“No,” Zeraa affirmed. “Not til Maul came.”

Ahsoka let out a sigh of relief, her eyes flickering up to Maul. “Thank you,” she said earnestly, “for rescuing us.”

“Just think of it as you owing me a debt of gratitude,” Maul affirmed. Ahsoka nodded, though by now she was acutely aware of Maul’s questioning glances. He wasn’t staring at her outright, but she knew those little movements he made when he was curious about something, or confused, and just didn’t want to admit it. 

“Maul has two hearts, Mommy,” Zeraa said happily. “Just like me!”

“Oh, does he?” Ahsoka said, pretending that she wasn’t already aware. 

“Yeah! I got to listen to them.”

Maul tilted his head. “Only because you insisted, child.” He met Ahsoka’s gaze. “I carried her most of the way. She was distressed after I killed stormtroopers in front of her.”

Ahsoka frowned. She thought that there might be Imperial forces trying to intercept Maul, and knew that he would not hesitate to kill. But she had hoped that Zeraa would not have to see death at such a young age. An empty hope, at this point. She resolved to have a long talk with Zeraa as soon as she was able to think function properly again.

“But...are you okay, Mommy?” Zeraa asked, frowning.

“I am,” Ahsoka assured her. “I was just given some medicines that made me a bit tired. I just need to sleep a little more, and I should be fine by tomorrow.”

The transport had begun to move a little faster, and picked up its pace. Zeraa lost her balance slightly, swaying back and forth. Ahsoka reached out to catch her, but she ended up falling against Maul’s legs. Maul shook his head as he hauled her and settled her next to him. “I don’t think this little one has inherited your sense of balance, Tano.” 

Zeraa pouted, while Ahsoka was just relieved that the girl hadn’t hurt herself. She caught Maul staring down at the child with an almost protective expression as the girl checked that her bantha toy was unharmed. _He must know. He has to know._

“Where are we going, anyway?” Zeraa asked, looking up at Maul.

“We’re going to the residence that I’m staying in,” Maul answered. “We’re taking a longer route to get back there tonight, just in case there are Imperials who might think to follow us. I’ve prepared everything else ahead of time.” 

Ahsoka frowned. Was it possible that this entire sequence had been some elaborate setup? She wouldn’t put it past Maul to mastermind such a scheme. “Did you know we would be on Naboo?” she asked. 

“Tano, I have no idea where you’ve been for the past six years,” Maul said, scowling. His eyes flickered down to Zeraa before locking into Ahsoka’s gaze once more. “Maybe once you’ve rested you can fill me in on the details.”

-

Maul leaned back against the seat. After the first few minutes of excitement, the exhaustion had simply been too much for the girl to handle--both of them. Both Ahsoka and Zeraa had managed to fall asleep; Ahsoka lay prone on the bench, as she had before, now completely passed out. She had one arm around Zeraa, who was snuggled in next to her, breathing softly. It only took Maul a few seconds of observation to know that this was probably a common sleeping arrangement for them.

Questions buzzed through his mind. The little girl looked to be around four or five years old; that meant Ahsoka had gotten herself pregnant right after the Clone Wars. _Not long after she left me…_ Dark thoughts loomed in his mind. But now was not the time to begrudge the past. He knew that speculation never did anyone favors, but he felt like his mind would explode if he didn’t find out.

_Patience._

His eyes moved to Zeraa. Fatherhood had never been something he ever realistically thought about, let alone wished for. But as he watched Ahsoka soothing Zeraa, even in her tired and fatigued state--that strange feeling welled up beneath his hearts again. He observed the way Zeraa smiled up at Ahsoka, the trusting way they held hands, the loving embraces. Seeing them together like this stirred some kind of longing inside him that he wasn’t sure he understood. But he had to temper himself. _No_ , he told himself. _I could not have fathered this girl._

But at that moment, through the glaring impossibility of such a feat--he really was uncertain.

**The past -- 19 BBY. A Shuttle headed to Bogano.**

It was difficult to be confined to such a small space with a person Ahsoka could barely tolerate. Maul let her have the entire back area to herself for the first few days. But after that period of time, she no longer cared how close he was to her in proximity. She let him know that she wouldn’t mind him sleeping on the top bunk, since the only space she really took up was the bottom. 

It had still been two more days before he finally acquiesced, though there had still been little talk exchanged between them. Ahsoka could hear him settling restlessly in the bunk above her during the rare moments when they would sleep at the same time. It wasn’t like time mattered to begin with--out here in the darkness of space, there was no sun to regulate rotations. It was a strange, listless feeling. Sometimes she would sleep for hours before waking, eating a few ration bars, meditating, or just staring out into the vastness of the stars. Maul seemed to sleep for thirty minute intervals before waking, during which time he would usually check their navigational course and make sure they had their shields up. He would then usually drift off to sleep again. They did not attempt to time their sleeping and waking to any coherent schedule. They were on different wavelengths to begin with.

The planet where Maul had chosen to orbit the shuttle was called Bogano, a wild, densely forested planet of foggy swamps, sunken valleys, and vast jungles. It had once been inhabited by some sort of ancient civilization--the Zeffo--and their monuments still loomed high above the grassy plains. Other than that, it seemed devoid of sentient life--no cities, towns, or even outposts. It was also absent from seemingly all navigational maps, which Ahsoka found hard to believe. Still, she had never heard the planet mentioned before in her lifetime. Maul seemed to think it was perfect for staying hidden for a few weeks, and she did not have the strength to question or disagree.

They spent four days orbiting the planet before deeming it safe to land. Maul set the shuttle down in the middle of an open field, settling the craft easily down onto the grass as its lowered its wings and powered down. Ahsoka, sitting in the navigator’s seat, stirred gently. “Are we actually leaving the shuttle?” Ahsoka asked, frowning.

“We’ve spent an entire week on this thing,” Maul answered. “I mean no offense, but the air in here has grown quite stale.”

Well, Ahsoka wasn’t going to argue with that. 

Maul rose from the pilot’s chair and went to the back area. “It appears that we have enough supplies for a few weeks,” he said, scanning their rations. “Will you come?”

Ahsoka sighed. There wasn’t much of a choice. Besides--she didn’t have anywhere she wanted to go. And had nowhere that she needed to be.

“Yes,” she called out. “I’m coming.”

-

Maul looked out across the wide horizon, across the grassy plains. It was late afternoon, and the sun would be setting in about an hour. They needed to find a safe place to go. They had a tent among their ration supplies, but it would be much better to find a more permanent shelter. 

Among the supplies they had discovered on the ship was a pair of regulation electrobinoculars. He took them out and held them up to his face, scanning the distance. This part of the planet was all grassy fields, with a few craggy hills scattered throughout the mostly flat landscape. Scanning the hills now, he could see nothing that would provide any shelter for them. Finally, after a few minutes, he was able to zero in a crevice set into one of the rocky hills in the distance. “There’s a cave to the west,” he announced. “It would be easier than pitching a tent.”

Ahsoka had just finished putting together her pack. She had been hoping there were some structures on the planet that would be a little more hospitable than a cave, but she had slept in worse places. “Are you sure a cave is a good idea?” she asked, stuffing a few bags of ration bars into the side pocket of the bag. 

“You may stay, Lady Tano,” Maul said. “But if you’ll excuse me, I would prefer not to sleep in that crowded bunk tonight.”

“You would really let me stay behind while you go off to do some camping?” Ahsoka asked. “Who’s to stop me from taking off as soon as you leave?”

“You wouldn’t do that,” Maul answered. “If there is anything you still cling to, it’s your damned honor.”

He was right, and it infuriated Ahsoka to know that he was. Besides...she needed to be honest with herself. Where was she going to go, anyway? With a sigh, she reached down and pulled the pack onto her back. “I’ll go,” she said simply. If anything, perhaps this interlude would allow her some time to think and gather her thoughts in a reasonable way. In her shocked state, unable to find a way to mourn for the loss of Rex and of everything else, she couldn’t step beyond the moment. Now, out in the open air, perhaps she could gain a new perspective.

Maul advanced forwards into the tall grass. Unlike Ahsoka, he was not mourning the particular loss of any one thing. But then again--Maul had never really mourned anything in his life. Even the loss of his lower body was not an event to be mourned--but one for which revenge should be taken. All the others--his brother Savage, mother Talzin, and the rest--followed a similar pattern. No mourning--only hatred. Only revenge.

Ahsoka took a deep breath, trying to get as much clean air into her lungs as she could. “What are you planning to do on this planet, anyway?” Ahsoka asked as they began to make their way through the tall grass.

“The only things that we can do,” Maul said simply. “Eat. Rest. Survive.”

“No lofty expectations for you this time?” Ahsoka asked dryly. 

“Not at this minute,” Maul said. “I have plans for the future. But now is not the future. Now I only focus on survival. Lying low for a few weeks is in order.”

Ahsoka sighed. She wished that she could compartmentalize her plans in the same way Maul could, but at that point, she didn’t even know where to begin. She had spent her life as a Jedi trying to find purpose, from one mission to the next. Now that she was free of this cycle, free to make her own purpose--she still didn’t know what it could be. 

Maul noted her silence. “What do you focus on, Lady Tano?”

Ahsoka shook her head. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “Maybe first I need to figure out what I’m going to do for the rest of my life,” she added, unsure why she was even progressing to the point of talking like this.

“So you _do_ value your life,” Maul said as they walked along. “A few days ago, you seemed to be on the verge of taking it.”

“There were times when I was,” Ahsoka admitted, coming forwards. The few days after their escape from the star destroyer had almost been too much to bear. “And... there might be times in the future when it will be tempting.”

Maul looked over to her. “It would be a waste.”

“You think so?” Ahsoka asked sarcastically, not really caring what the answer was. If she was going to be truthful--she didn’t think she would ever carry through with taking her own life, even if there were dark times when she had considered it. 

“So many unworthy people roam this galaxy. People who aren’t worthy of the lives they lead.” Maul decided to speak plainly at this point. “You are not one of those.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but hearing you talk about _life_ being so important when I think about all the ones you’ve taken…” Ahsoka trailed off. “It doesn’t really have much of an impact on me.”

“You have a point.” Maul let his eyes wander to the ground. “If my words are worthless, then you need not listen.” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t. Let’s stop talking for now, please.” Ahsoka was no longer in the mood for idle chatter. The alliance between her and Maul had been formed merely for convenience. The more she replied to his banter, the more anger she could feel just below the surface of her mind.

Maul could feel the annoyance radiating from her, and set his eyes straight ahead. He sighed. _Whatever it takes_ , he thought as they trudged through the tall grasses. _And if she doesn’t have the will to survive, I do_. 

They walked across the wide plains, through the overgrown fields and across sunken marshlands. By the time they reached the cave, at nightfall, they were filthy, sore and exhausted. The cavern’s entrance was slightly narrow, but they were able to slip in easily once they took their packs off their shoulders. 

Ahsoka set her pack down while Maul inspected the mouth of the cave. “This should be fine,” he remarked. “It seems that this area gets rather cold at night. I will see about gathering enough kindling for a fire.”

“I’ll take a look in the back,” Ahsoka volunteered. She hadn’t sensed any imminent danger--other than Maul, really--but she needed to be sure. The last thing she wanted to do was to accidentally set up camp in an unknown predator’s den. Her thoughts wandered back to the Zillo beast that the Jedi had captured back on Toydaria, and how that situation had quickly spun out of control. She and Maul didn’t have the luxury of calling for backup now.

She grabbed her lightsabers and hooked them to her belt. Thinking better of it, she opened her pack and fished a light rod out of the bottom before wandering into the cavern, watching her steps on the rocks as she went. The cavern turned out to be fairly lengthy; she had been walking for two minutes before she had to switch on the light rod to provide enough light to see. The mouth of the cave had been narrow to begin in, and the sun had already set on Bogano, leaving the waning light from the twilight insufficient.

As she advanced, she began to discern the sounds of running water. _A stream?_ she thought idly. She continued walking, holding the light rod up. She could make out the usual cave trappings--stalactites, stalagmites, and the occasional sound of some cave insect. But now, as she neared the site of the noise, she began to understand where it was coming from.

A small, shallow pool was bubbling up in the back of the cave, steam rising from its surface. She knelt and tested the water with a finger. It was pleasantly hot, and reminded her of the long, cleansing baths she used to take in the Jedi Temple, back when she had the privilege to enjoy occasional moments of relaxation.

She set the light rod down on a rock protrusion, and quickly slipped her boots and socks off. She dipped her feet into the hot spring. The feeling of the warm water bubbling around her toes was soothing and calming in an almost luxurious way. In the last few years, her only real contact with water had been cold showers in whatever shady dive she happened to find herself staying in, after she had left the Jedi order. Something like a bubbling hot spring was nothing short of a minor miracle.

_Might be nice for a bath later…_

Ahsoka sat by the edge of the pool, letting her mind drift as she continued to dip her toes in the water. Thoughts of incidents from both recent and older, played in her mind; thoughts of the Jedi Temple, once her home; the faithful friends she had made; Anakin, her dear Master; and Rex. Although she had plenty of time to consider all these things aboard the shuttle, this was the first time she could do it in a state of relaxation, removed from the oppressing walls of the escape shuttle, alone...almost.

“I thought you were checking to see if there was anything dangerous back here.”

Ahsoka opened her eyes with a sigh. She wasn’t surprised by Maul’s intrusion as much as she was annoyed. She had sensed Maul coming up the passage, and knew that he would follow it until he found out where she had gone to. “Why did you follow me back here?” 

“It’s been half an hour,” Maul replied. “I was growing concerned that something had attacked you.” Though it now seemed to him that Ahsoka had found a different distraction. “Now I see why you’re so intent on staying back here..”

Ahsoka rose. “I’ll start heading back.”

“You can do whatever you like, Tano,” Maul said. “I have no need of you at the moment. Nothing is urgent. Stay here if you wish.” They weren’t even well attuned to each other in the Force, but he could tell that she probably wanted to take advantage of the hot spring’s features. He turned to leave, but thinking better of it, inclined his head slightly. He could also sense the slight apprehension coming from her. “I know what you’re thinking,” his retreating voice called out. “Do not think I am crass enough to spy on you in vulnerable moments.”

With that, he began to walk away. Ahsoka sighed. All she could feel from him was a vague disinterest in what she was doing, and that was perfectly fine with her. She gauged that there would be only minimal risks involved if she decided to take a quick bath. She did not trust Maul in the slightest, but she would have her lightsabers with her if it came to that. 

She began to slip off her leggings, ready for the soak.

-

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo.**

An hour later, the transporter slid into the driveway of the mansion, coming up the long road up to the house. Maul, who was quite unused to waking people, gently lay a hand on Zeraa’s shoulder. “We’ve arrived,” he said, shaking her gently. He presumed this is what people did when they needed to wake up someone else.

“Oh,” Zeraa said with a yawn, raising. “We’re here already? Weren’t we just at the hospital?”

“No. You fell asleep as soon as we left the grounds of the university.”

Zeraa rubbed her eyes before looking up at the large, ornate house. “Wow, is that it?!” she exclaimed. 

Maul nodded. “Now stand up and let me see if your mother is coherent enough to walk upstairs.”

Zeraa climbed off the bench and stood by as Maul He knelt down to examine Ahsoka. She was now in a lighter sleep than she had been before, although by normal standards she was still totally unconscious. He briefly tried to wake her, but she did not stir. “I’ll have to carry her up,” he told Zeraa. 

“Oh, okay,” Zeraa said. “Can I help carry her?”

“You can help by carrying your toy upstairs,” Maul said as the door to the transport swung open. “And by keeping out of the way.”

Qin and Xi’an were waiting on the front steps, reminiscent of servants who would wait outside for their masters’ arrival. In essence, that was exactly what they were doing--except Maul and his entourage were not nobility or royalty, just a washed-up Sith, a disgraced Jedi, and one mysterious hybrid. “Boss!” Qin greeted with a smile. Xi’an had her normal, unhinged grin, although her eyes widened at the sight of Ahsoka, unconscious and wrapped in Maul’s cloak, lying limply in his arms. Zeraa followed last, coming shyly out from behind them. 

“Qin, Xi’an, this woman and child are my guests,” Maul told them imperiously. “Any request from them is an order from me. Understood?” 

The twins nodded. “Everything has been prepared as you wish, Boss,” Xi’an said. “The medical equipment is in the second bedroom to the left when you come up the stairs. The door is open, so it’s easy to tell. The med droid is in there now.”

“Good. Take over the transport from Zeepio.” He threw a look back to the protocol droid, who was still sitting in the driver’s seat. “Zeepio, you’ll accompany me upstairs.”

Maul nodded, and climbed up the steps to the mansion. This was his first time actually entering the residence; earlier in the day, he had merely glimpsed it before taking off for the marketplace. As he expected, the mansion was designed in a quaint, old-fashioned type of style, with a curving wooden staircase that descended from the top floor. There were large, airy rooms of varying function and purpose, with furniture that was upholstered in different shades of greed, red, and blue. Decorations ranged from ornamental plants to antique mechanical clocks which were probably thousands of years old. Overall, a style that was very unique to Naboo, and one which Maul did not care for in the slightest.

Maul ignored all of it and began to ascend the staircase, Ahsoka’s head lolling against his shoulder. Zeraa, carrying her bantha, stopped in awe to look around. “Wow,” she said, in a low voice.

Qin and Xi’an had taken over control of the transport from Zeepio, who was now walking in through the front door behind Zeraa. “Mistress,” she began. “I don’t believe we have been properly introduced. I am See-Zeepio, human-cyborg relations.” 

“Oh,” Zeraa replied shyly. There had of course been worker droids on Raada, but she only rarely saw humanoid ones such as this. “Hi. My name is Zeraa Roshti.”

“Well, hello Mistress Zeraa,” Zeepio said pleasantly. “Will you be following Lord Maul and Mistress Ahsoka upstairs?”

“Yes,” Zeraa said as they headed towards the staircase. “I’ve just never been in a house this big before!”

Zeepio chuckled. “I’m afraid you’ll find that most houses on this planet are much larger than this. The Naboo are a very wealthy people.”

“Do you live here?” Zeraa asked the droid.

“Oh goodness, no. I am here accompanying Lord Maul on a business excursion...” Zeepio answered as they began to ascend the stairs together. “I was assembled on Coruscant…do you know where that is?”

Maul had climbed up to the second floor, and quickly located the room that had been prepared for Ahsoka. It was a grand, airy bedroom, with tall viewing windows and the same ornate furniture as the rest of the house. A large bed sat in the back of the room, along with the medical equipment that Maul had requested. A heart monitor, an IV drip, a bacta tub, and other surgical devices were nearly prepared next to the bed. In the corner of the room there was a tranparisteel cabinet containing heating pads, antidotes, and other medical supplies.

The medical droid, 2-1B, was standing near the bed, awaiting Ahsoka’s arrival. “Lord Maul,” he greeted as Maul laid Ahsoka down on the bed. “May I examine the patient?”

Maul nodded. “Yes. She sustained a short-range blaster injury to the shoulder. After that she was given a cocktail of sedatives with varying symptoms.”

Zeraa and Zeepio, who had been chatting to each other, had taken a little more time to arrive in the room. They now stood at the foot of the bed, watching as Maul arranged Ahsoka against the mattress. Onebee looked up briefly to the little girl. “Does the child need medical attention as well?”

Maul looked back to Zeera. “She seems to be mostly unharmed, but I did see some scrapes and bruises on her. An examination should be performed.”

Onebee nodded. “Very well. If it is not urgent, I will examine her after I am finished with this patient.”

Zeepio turned to Zeera. “If that is the case, Mistress, might I suggest a bit of maintenance while we wait for your examination?”

Zeraa scrunched up her face. “Maintenance?”

“Ah, my apologies. Maintenance is the way we droids would refer to it. Organic beings would call it _freshening up_ or _taking in nourishment_.”

“Oh...um…” Zeraa stammered. She looked down at her dirty, dusty garments. “Okay…”

Maul, who had been intently focusing on Ahsoka, overheard the exchange peripherally. “Zeepio, if you think the child needs to be cleaned up and fed, by all means,” he said, looking over to the droid.

“I think it would be in her best interests,” Zeepio agreed. “If I may, Lord Maul--I have been loaded and programmed to deal with millions of childcare-related scenarios. So I do feel that I have qualifications in this matter.”

Maul waved her off. “I trust you do,” he said, though he was secretly grateful that Zeepio had that type of programming built into her. He wouldn’t have known the first thing to do with Zeraa if left on his own. He had assumed that Zeraa would be old enough to know how to feed and bathe herself, but maybe that was incorrect. Then again, Maul was not sure what normal childhood development looked like. When he was younger, his droid caretaker had taught him those basic survival skills as soon as he could comprehend words.

“But wait,” Zeraa protested. “I wanna stay with Mommy…” she said with a pout.

“Your mother will be right here,” Maul said firmly. “Go with Zeepio. You will be able to return later.”

Zeraa looked over to Zeepio with a sigh. “Okay…” she whispered. “But...Maul?”

“Yes?” 

Zeraa came over to him then, to where he stood by Ahsoka’s beside. She reached up to grab his hand again, and despite Maul’s impulse to pull back, he let her take it. “You have to make sure no one takes her away again,” she said earnestly, looking over to Ahsoka with worried eyes.

Maul sighed. “Don’t fear, Zeraa.” His eyes briefly flickered to Ahsoka. “I’ll make sure she stays right here.” Zeraa smiled up at him, giving his hand a brief squeeze before turning to leave the room with Zeepio.

Maul watched her go with a sigh. _Ahsoka_ , he thought, looking over to the sleeping woman lying in bed next to him. _How is it that I now have two of you?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha this is becoming even more of a slow burn than I thought it would be. In my attempt to speed things up—I failed! I love really getting into characters and seeing what makes them tick. I’m still discovering how exactly I want to portray these versions of Maul and Ahsoka. While the flashbacks to Bogano represent what they were at the end of the Clone Wars, in this story, Maul and Ahsoka have slightly changed according to their circumstances.
> 
> Ahsoka here is still supposed to be young, in her early 20s, still a young woman with dreams, but also aware (and unshirking) of her responsibilities to her child. Maul is a hardened person whose normalcy has been disrupted by the appearance of his former lover, with a kid that has some of his features. 
> 
> About Zeraa-I am not skilled in writing OCs. Zeraa’s function here is to act a conduit (intermediary) between Ahsoka and Maul, so I’m still trying to find the right way to write about her as well. She’s still a kid, but a kid who is starting to become attuned to the Force. Mysterious kid with cool powers, etc. I'm trying to make her kiddy, but not too annoying. 
> 
> Also—yes I’m adding a sexy hot spring to the flashback, at that point they are in sore need of it. And Bogano is from the Fallen Jedi game!
> 
> As always, I love hearing comments and constructive criticism. Hopefully I managed to nail down everyone’s personalities okay. I love hearing comments about Ahsoka, Maul, Maulsoka, or any Star Wars things in general, lemme hear it :)


	6. A Minor Inconvenience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the present, Maul decides to give Ahsoka some privacy and tries to gather his resources so that he can can ensure Ahsoka and Zeraa's safety. He keeps being interrupted with requests related to the child. Sensing her disquiet, he decides to see what he can do.
> 
> In the past, Ahsoka makes an embarrassing mistake that leads to a trust exercise while she dresses. This conversation reveals more about Maul's early life.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo**

Now that Zeraa had gone off with Zeepio, Maul was free to turn his attention back to Ahsoka. Onebee was gingerly examining the bacta bandages on Ahsoka’s shoulder. “The wound seems to be healing well,” he commented. “I will clean and change the dressing presently. Her skin should be fully regrown and back to normal in about three days.” Maul nodded. It had been a relatively weak blaster shot. But fired at close range, it would have caused muscular damage to any person standing nearby, even a fully trained Jedi.

After the bandage examination, Onebee took a blood sample from Ahsoka’s arm, placing it into a small rectangular device with a screen on the top. “This is a toxicology scanner,” he explained to Maul. “It appears that the patient was given multiple doses of different sedatives. Besides somaprin and H4B, there are also high traces of Renatyl and Tranqarest.”

Maul tilted his head. Somaprin and H4B were common, if addictive, sleeping medications. But the other two were suspect. Renatyl was an unsavory drug commonly used in the underworld, and caused the victim to start experiencing headaches and muscle spasms as soon as they tried to stand. Tranqarest was known for its Force-numbing qualities, and was specifically used for sedating Jedi, or Force Adepts in general. He found it telling that a hospital on Naboo would still have supplies of Tranqarest, seven years after the Jedi had supposedly been wiped from the galaxy. And the presence of such sedatives would explain why Ahsoka’s Force signature had been so weak when he tried to locate her in the hospital.

“Interesting,” he murmured. “How long until the sedatives wear off?”

“They should be out of her system by midday tomorrow,” Onebee replied. “Next, I will perform a general physical examination,” he continued. “Following that, I will perform a bacta scrub and a hydrous cleansing.”

“Yes, go ahead.” Maul crossed his arms. He was prepared to wait with Ahsoka for as long as he needed to.

Onebee paused, as if he was trying to find the right words to reply. “My apologies, Lord Maul,” he commented. “I believe it might be preferable if patient Ahsoka had some privacy for the next few moments.”

Maul scowled. “There’s no need for that, droid,” he said, starting to grow impatient. “You may proceed with the examination.”

Onebee looked as if he was about to make another argument, but turned back to Ahsoka, who was still locked into a deep sleep. “Very well, sir,” the droid acquiesced, as he turned to start undoing the ties on the front of Ahsoka’s thin hospital gown.

An episode from their brief stay on Bogano, six years prior, slowly flashed into Maul’s mind. When he and Ahsoka sought shelter in a cave, she had discovered a natural hot spring bubbling up in the back, hidden deep beyond the rocks and stalactites. He remembered what he had told her then: _Do not think I am crass enough to spy on you in vulnerable moments_. Although he was loath to admit it, this episode--being present while a medical droid was examining her--was a vulnerable moment. 

Even though he had seen her unclothed before, once they had begun their sexual encounters, that had all been years ago. He wasn’t sure how she would feel about it now, and until he figured it out, he would need to give her the privacy she needed.

 _Shit_. Maul was not used to being considerate to anyone, at any time, but the fact that he was dealing with Ahsoka made him hesitate. “Nevermind,” he said shortly. “I’ll be in the office connected to the master bedroom. Fetch me when you’re done,” he told Onebee.

Onebee seemed relieved at this development. “Very well, sir,” he responded. 

Maul gave Ahsoka another glance before turning and exiting the room, stepping out into the hallway. He swiftly located the master bedroom, opening the tall white doors to a large room featuring a rounded bed, floor-to-ceiling viewing windows, and a tall wardrobe cabinet in the corner. Beyond the bedroom was another room, meant to function as an office. There was a long, curved desk with a chair set in the middle. Both walls of the room were lined with books, which Maul noted as being unusual--books, or paper, were rare commodities in a galaxy that used datapads to store millions of novels and texts on one device. But then again, the Naboo were known for their love of antique things. 

Maul walked into the room and found that his console had been set up at the desk, with screen and typing pad ready for usage. He sat down, briefly meditating over the events of the day. Although he now had physical custody of Ahsoka and Zeraa, the Imperials now knew that Ahsoka was alive, and on Naboo. And perhaps, most damning of all, they now had Ahsoka’s lightsabers--physical evidence. Although it had been fortuitous that he had been able to locate Ahsoka in the first place, having her back did create a bit of a mess on his hands. Not to mention the fact that she had a child with her...

The first thing that needed to be done was to wipe Ahsoka’s records from the Imperial Registry--and any records that might have been taken on Zeraa as well. He would need the skills of a talented splicer for this. Maul switched on the console, ignoring the cacophony of notification signals that seemed to drop all at once. As he hurriedly logged into Crimson Dawn’s private Holonet server, he could see that there were hundreds of new holomails that had accumulated in his inbox. Many of them seemed to be somewhat urgent, but Maul decided that he had no time to check. He had to triage his tasks at the moment, and he deemed that erasing Ahsoka and Zeraa’s records was the most important one to tackle.

Besides--he was the leader of Crimson Dawn. He answered to no one, and his underlings would never mention if they sensed he was falling behind in his workload. No one knew all the parts to his meticulously planned schedule, and therefore no one ever figured how that his efficiency stemmed from getting three days worth of work done in one. He was always so hyper-focused on everything that he could sit motionless at his console for hours upon end, typing responses, suggestions, or queries all day. 

But...was it even possible to concentrate, now? With Ahsoka just down the hall? And Zeraa--that mysterious child--padding around the house as well? He wished that he could speak to Ahsoka, to ask her all the things he needed to know. About why she had left, and what she had been doing. And about Zeraa. 

But he needed to remain resolved. He willed himself to try to focus on the tasks he had to accomplish. Maul was so rarely distracted that he felt strangely uncomfortable. Seeing Ahsoka again--gathering her into his arms, wrapping her in his cloak, hearing her pleas to save Zeraa--had affected him more than he realized.

He had missed her.

-

Nearly an hour went by before a knock sounded upon the door. Maul sighed as he continued typing into his terminal. Interruptions like this were rare for him. While he was working, useless intrusions could spell punishments. At best, a demotion. At worst--death. He had only needed to kill five employees thus far, but each of them had been getting on his nerves for weeks, anyway. “Yes?” he called out.

The door opened, and Zeepio popped her silver-plated head in. “Sir, Mistress Zeraa has eaten some dinner and is now finished with her bath. However, we do have a bit of an issue--we have no clothes for her to wear at the moment. Her dress is currently being air cleaned, but it won’t be ready for another few hours.”

 _Clothes?_ Maul thought in annoyance. Was Zeepio really bothering over clothing for a little child? “I suppose you may retrieve something from my wardrobe and alter it to fit her.”

Zeepio tilted her head. “What should I choose?”

“I trust your judgment,” Maul said in a low voice, letting his impatience show. “Use electroshears if you need to do some alterations.”

“Yes, sir.” Zeepio hurriedly closed the door, apparently in a bit of a fluster.

Maul’s eyes flickered to the screen in front of him as he reread the message he had typed into the text field. 

_Need a slicer able to hack into the Imperial Registry for record wiping. More details will follow once selection is made. Contact me with recommendations. Expect to hear them no later than midday tomorrow._

Although the message was short, he ran it through several encryption programs before he attempted to send it. Even though the network was secure, he still never knew who would be listening. The message finished its run, and swiftly sent itself to the top bosses in his network. No matter how many other messages accumulated in their inboxes, this one would remain at the top of the queue. His network was specially programmed to ensure that any messages from him remained highlighted until they were answered.

There was an extensive network of highly skilled criminals available for his usage, and somewhere, there had to be a slicer talented enough to hack into the registry. He needed to remove all traces of Ahsoka and Zeraa from their extensive data network. Of course, the Empire could always remake entries for Ahsoka any time they wanted; but removing the original cache of images and data files would hamper their work substantially. The splicer would need to remove all backups, as well...

He’d get someone on it as soon as he found a suitable candidate.

Another knock sounded on the door. Maul sighed. “Yes?” 

The door opened slightly, and Onebee, the medical droid, appeared in the doorway. “Lord Maul, I have finished my complete examination of patient Ahsoka. Besides the injuries and side effects we discussed before, she does have some bruising on her arms and legs. I presume these are from short distance falls.” Maul nodded. Ahsoka had seemed quite unsteady on her feet; it wouldn’t surprise him if she had fallen several times during her escape attempt. “But those should heal up shortly,” the droid continued. “She should be fully coherent by midday tomorrow. I will check on her every hour until then.”

Maul nodded. “And the child?”

“Patient Zeraa had several bloody scrapes on her knees and legs that I have cleansed and bandaged. Other than that, she is in good physical condition. I do not believe she will need supervision during the night.” Onebee paused. “She does seem a bit mentally shaken, however. I do recommend having a talk with her before she goes to bed.”

“Alright,” Maul said, looking back to this console screen. “That’s all for now. You may go.” Onebee nodded and shut the door. 

He tried to get his mind back on work, opening a few more of the urgent messages he’d received during the day. As he had predicted, none of them had actually been urgent. There were reports upon reports upon reports about every manner of activity his agents had observed and committed during the last day. There were also detailed messages from the spies he had in place to watch his agents--and the spies he’d hired to watch those spies, as well. 

_Nothing of note_ , Maul thought, and for once he was glad that his agents had nothing worthwhile to tell him at the moment. While he waited for his bosses to reply to him with some recommendations for an adequate splicer, he decided to do some brief investigation into the events at Theed Hospital. He was certain that Imperial authorities would surely be swarming the area by now.

He brought up the Holonet search tab on his console, and typed in the following query.

[search >... theed hospital]

The only things the search yielded were the hospital’s official Holonet site, along with several unnoteworthy news articles, mainly related to charity events or new surgery technology. There were no mentions whatsoever of an incident at the hospital just a few hours prior.

Maul scowled. He supposed that there being a media blackout at the hospital was for the better--this meant that the Imperials were most likely keeping their investigations on a low profile, and that Ahsoka’s name would not be released to the public. _Yet._

His eyes cycled over a few of the other headlines on the news pages.

[>... New Theed Imperial Intelligence facility starts recruiting efforts under Dir. Krennic]

[>... Moff Panaka to speak at Theed University graduation ceremony]

[>... Onderon Ambassador Lux Bonteri arrives in Theed to begin tenure as liaison to Naboo]

He did not note anything major to deduce from any of the other headlines, except that the name _Lux Bonteri_ seemed like one he heard before. He had vaguely recalled Ahsoka mentioning it to him, perhaps once or twice before. But he did not remember the context--whatever it was, it had not seemed important at the time. Maul only recalled things that were worth remembering these days. 

A knock sounded upon the door a third time, and Maul was about ready to slam a fist through the desk. “ _What?_ ”

It was Zeepio again. “Sir…” she said as she swung the door open. “I’m terribly sorry to bother you, but...Mistress Zeraa wishes to speak with you.”

“What does she need _now_?” Maul asked, his temper growing hotter by the second.

“I’m not quite sure, sir. I asked, but she did not give me a specific reason.”

“You can tell that I’ll speak to her in the morning,” Maul said, scowling. “Make sure she goes to bed.” He set his attention back to the console. 

After about a minute, he realized that Zeepio was still standing in the doorway. “Is there something else?” he barked.

“If I may, sir... “ Zeepio began. “Mistress Zeraa seems to have been through a number of traumatic events in the past twenty-four hours. Perhaps it would be a good idea if you had a quick chat with her…?”

“Zeepio, I will thank you not to make pointless suggestions to me for the foreseeable future,” Maul said, in a deadly voice. “Unless you would like to be moved to the front of the list for reprogramming.” Any droid who had worked under Maul’s employ would know that he would not hesitate to recommend them for reprogramming--or decommissioning, if it came to that. 

“Oh!” Although Zeepio could not change her expression, it was evident that she was horrified at the suggestion. “I’m terribly sorry, Lord Maul...it won’t happen again.” She quickly disappeared, shutting the door behind her.

Maul felt anger bubbling up just beneath the surface of his mind, and quietly seethed. As if he, in any way, was responsible for the well being of a little girl to whom he had no tangible, proven connection. His eyes moved back to his console, and he continued to look over the articles displayed on the various news pages.

But as the minutes wore on, he was quietly becoming aware of a change in the atmosphere. Through the Force, he was able to feel the two signatures near him. Ahsoka’s signature was still tenuous, but it was at least steady, and gaining in strength by the minute. Zeraa’s smaller signature had felt somewhat neutral for the last hour, but he could now feel a sudden drop in her mood--a type of sadness or disappointment that was now calling out to him directly. 

After a few minutes, he let out a sigh of frustration. _Absurd_ , he thought as he switched off the console. He didn’t like where these emotions were taking him, especially when it came to this child. But from the second he had laid eyes on her at the hospital, he knew that the similarities they shared could not be a mere coincidence. The thought had germinated in his mind, and although he tried to deny it over and over again, it would not go away.

He rose from the desk and slipped out the door, feeling foolish and defeated.

-

**The past - 19 BBY. A Cave on Bogano**

Although the grassy plains were a moderate, if slightly balmy, temperature during the day, nights on Bogano proved to be dry and chilly. It had rained earlier in the day, and the water had rendered much of the available kindling unusable. There were a few small branches and twigs that had fallen into the cave earlier, and these had to suffice.

Maul attempted to use the long-necked lighter that had come in the rations pack to start the fire. Although survival skills were second nature to him at this point, he took him three tries before he finally succeeded, kindling a small blaze that slowly started consuming the leaves and twigs that fed it. 

Maul sat back with a sigh. Not his proudest work, to be sure, but it was a fire, and it was warm. And if Ahsoka had any complaints, he would merely need to point out that she had been amusing herself in the hot spring rather than tending to their survival needs.

He could now feel Ahsoka’s presence just beyond the reaches of his vision. “Standing in the shadows, Lady Tano?”

Ahsoka had stopped a few meters from the mouth of the cafe, hiding herself behind a large rock. She felt comically stupid for this error, but she supposed she would have to live it up somehow.

“I forgot that I didn’t have anything to dry myself with…” she called out, feeling extremely silly all of a sudden. She had realized her error as soon as she had risen from the hot spring, water dripping off her body. In her enthusiasm, she had forgotten to bring any type of towel or fabric to help dry the water off her body. She considered putting her clothes back on, but she had been unwilling to get her only outfit damp and wet.

Maul allowed himself a chuckle. “Is that so?” he said playfully. “I suppose you’ll need to come up here to retrieve a towel.” He didn’t even need to try to attune himself to Ahsoka to know that she was embarrassed. 

“Could you turn around, please?” Ahsoka asked, still feeling humiliated.

Maul allowed himself a smirk. “Since you seem to feel so strongly about being seen unclothed...” Maul turned his body so that he was facing the mouth of the cave. If it had been nearly anyone else--he would not have acquiesced. But he had to admit that he had a certain begrudging respect for Ahsoka that stemmed from the common adversities they had been through.

Ahsoka stepped forwards. Even in her infinite embarrassment, she was surprised that Maul would be this considerate towards her. Most of the water had dripped off her body as she had walked back through the cave, but her skin was still damp. Coupled with the rather cool temperatures, she was chilled by the time she had made it back to the mouth of the cave, barefoot, carrying her clothes and boots in her arms. 

She came up near the campfire, grateful that Maul had already gotten the fire started. She knelt down and started fishing the towel out of her pack.

Maul sat facing the other direction, turned towards the mouth of the cave. He could heard Ahsoka making small noises behind him. _Unclothed…_ The thought rose, unbidden to his mind. He was unsure why he was taking an interest in this situation, all of a sudden. The last few days on the shuttle had been somewhat unbearable, but that was also because of the miserable state Ahsoka had been in. Now, here on the open plains of Bogano, it seemed that she was more relaxed; still guarded, but willing to allow the frivolity of a hot bath. Even trusting him enough not to let him stay in the same space while she was not wearing any clothes...

And as she moved around behind him, drying herself with the towel, making small noises here and there, he found himself growing curious. He knew that Togrutas had white markings elsewhere on their bodies, besides their faces. He wondered where else Ahsoka had markings on her body...

Ahsoka watched Maul warily. He was being a little too quiet, considering his personality. She wondered if her unclothed body was making him uncomfortable, though the thought of a former Sith being bothered by nudity was absurd. He hadn’t displayed any interest in her so far, but it did seem that he was being affected by her nakedness--even if he couldn’t see it.

Maul spoke after a minute. “Well, how did you fare?”

“What with the hot spring?” Ahsoka asked, toweling off her lekku. Was Maul actually trying to make small talk? “It was nice. And hot.”

“That’s evident.”

Ahsoka chuckled. “It felt just like a hot spring, I guess. Or a steam bath.” She patted the towel against her montrals. “You do know what that feels like, right?”

“I’m afraid I don’t,” Maul confirmed. “I did not have time for such luxuries.”

Ahsoka frowned. “I don’t know if steam baths are luxurious,” she said. “I used to have them at the Jedi Temple when I was healing from injuries.”

“More evidence that the Jedi were more concerned with unnecessary trappings than they were with focusing on their supposed missions and creeds.”

Ahsoka sighed. She wasn’t about to defend the Jedi after what they had done to her, but she also knew that Maul was being stubborn over a trivial matter. “You’ve had bacta submersions, right?” she asked, drawing the conversation back to the topic of hot springs. “It’s a lot like that.”

Maul lowered his eyes. “I have not had a bacta submersion of any kind.”

“Really?” Ahsoka asked incredulously. Bacta submersions felt like a procedure that most fighters would have had at some point in their lives. Ahsoka herself had needed several, back when she had been a Padawan. And Anakin had needed twice as many, being as stubborn as he was.

She was under the impression that a Sith warrior of Maul’s standing would be no different. “So...how did you heal when you were injured?”

Maul relaxed his shoulder, shifting from his upright position, putting his hands against the cool rock for support. “My master forbade me from receiving medical treatment of that kind. If I got injured during a mission, my droid caretaker could treat my wounds with antiseptic bandages. But I was never allowed to undergo a bacta submersion.”

Ahsoka frowned. “Why weren’t you allowed?” If anything, it would have made any wounds heal faster, which she guessed to be a boon rather than a hindrance to a Sith.

These were not memories Maul had ever really discussed with anyone. He saw no real reason to continue the conversation, but found that he didn’t mind talking about it. Not when Ahsoka seemed to be displaying some interest. “My master believed that any injuries received in battle were deserved,” he explained. “Medical treatment was, to him, a sign of weakness. So I was left to recover from my injuries naturally, without the use of bacta.”

“But...what if you lost too much blood? Or a bone injury set the wrong way?” 

“My master had no qualms in instructing the medical droids to reset any broken bones,” Maul replied. “But I was not allowed medicine to help with the pain. My master wished me to learn lessons from my injuries.”

Ahsoka frowned. Although the Jedi had been strict, they never would have denied pain medications to help with battlefield injuries. Maul’s training sounded barbaric, though she tended to think his whole life sounded unfortunate to begin with. 

“Well…” she said, as she began to slip her leggings up. “I guess if you don’t know how steam baths or bacta submersions feel, you can at least imagine what hot water feels like.”

Maul shook his head. “I did not have access to hot water when I was undergoing my training. It was another thing that my master thought of as frivolity. I was only allowed to use cold water for bathing.”

She found it increasingly hard to believe everything Maul was telling her. “You’ve never even had a hot shower?”

“I have not.”

“But you haven’t served your master for years now,” Ahsoka argued. “He doesn’t control your life any longer. You’re free to do whatever you want.” 

Maul let his eyes wander beyond the opening of the cave, to the sea of grasses swaying in the wind. “Habits are not easily broken,” he said. “It can be hard to indulge in excesses that one was once deprived of.” He sighed. “No, I am not disposed to hot water, and I do not believe that will change.”

Ahsoka found that she was getting a taste of just how warped and traumatic Maul’s childhood had truly been, if hot water was considered an excess. “How did you survive all of it?” she murmured. “It was a cruel environment for a child to grow up in...it must have seemed like torture.”

“I didn’t think of it as torture, at the time,” Maul answered. He drew his legs up, resting his hands on his knees. “To the Sith...pain is a conduit. A vehicle to incase oneself in hatred.”

They spent the next few minutes in silence. Maul had said his piece, and Ahsoka found herself at a loss for words. She quickly finished putting on the rest of her clothes, slipping the tunic over her head. “Well…” she began, not really knowing what to say. “I guess it’s not too late to try something new.”

“I suppose you’ve run out of original things to say after being so talkative” Maul said, amused. “Are you done? Can I turn around now?”

Ahsoka normally would have been irked at Maul’s rudeness, but she was too tired to argue. “Yes,” she said with a sigh, sitting down next to the fire. She put her hands to warm herself, grateful to combat the chill. “It does get cold on this planet at night,” she admitted. 

Maul turned around, shifting his legs back underneath him. “We’ll need to gather more supplies,” he said resolvedly. He grabbed a branch that had been sitting near the fire, poking the kindling within the flames. “Tomorrow we hunt.”

“ _We_?”

“Unless you’re planning to subsist on veg-meat ration bars…” Maul said dispassionately. The supplies they had gotten from the shuttle had been painfully basic. There had been a cache of the ill-flavored ration bars, along with some hydration tablets and energy capsules. 

“I’ve eaten worse,” Ahsoka said. “And so have you.” The truth was, she had been planning on hunting, anyway. She knew the rations were limited and unappetizing. On a planet like Bogano, where water, resources, and animals seemed plentiful, it seemed like a given that they would hunt and gather. “I’ll need to make weapons, though.”

“Why? Do you find it dishonorable to use your lightsabers for such work?”

“I just don’t like the taste of meat that’s been burned with a saber,” Ahsoka admitted. “I’ve eaten it before. It just doesn’t taste the same.”

“Hm,” Maul murmured. “I suppose I’ve never noticed. I do not particularly have a preference for raw or cooked meat.”

Ahsoka frowned, though she had to admit that she wasn’t too surprised by this. “You don’t seem like the type to be too particular about food,” she said, thinking back to the stories she had heard about his time on Lotho Minor.

“Most of my body is cybernetic to begin with,” Maul answered. “I don’t need to eat as much as a fully organic being.”

“How does it work, anyway?” Ahsoka couldn’t mask her curiosity. “I guess I thought you wouldn’t be able to eat anything.”

“Food is necessary, but my enhancements allow me to go for days without it.”

“So you don’t even need to hunt,” Ahsoka said. “Why would you go to the trouble?”

Maul contemplated this answer before giving a reply. “To feel more alive, I suppose. To prove to myself that I still have the means to perform all of the functions I used to--before I was halved.” Maul felt himself recoil inwardly at the memory. Even just thinking about losing the lower half of his body was enough to make him rage over what he had been robbed of.

Ahsoka could think of nothing more to say, and Maul was drawn into his memories and thoughts. The flickering embers elongated their shadows against the cave’s walls, casting a dim, yellowish light. She warmed her hands by the fire as he brooded, the atmosphere dissolving into a tense feeling of uncertainty.

-

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo**

Maul walked down the hallway on the second floor of the mansion, eventually spying Zeepio emerging from one of the spare bedrooms. “Is this where you’ve placed the girl?” he asked.

Zeepio was clearly startled by Maul’s sudden presence, especially in light of the bad temperament he had displayed earlier. “Oh! Ah...yes, sir.” Maul strode past Zeepio to open the door as the confused droid shuffled to the side. 

The room Zeraa had been placed in was much like the room that had been provided for Ahsoka. The same large bed, with wooden cabinets and floor-to-ceiling viewing windows. Zeraa was sitting up in bed, her hands clasped together. She was clad in one of Maul’s old training shirts, with the sleeves cut off part way to accommodate her thin arms. The neckline had been gathered and pinned at the back. Although the blanket covered her legs, Maul was fairly certain Zeepio had needed to lop off the bottom of the shirt as well. She tilted her head in confusion as Maul entered. 

“Well, I am unable to say that outfit suits you,” Maul said, coming up closer to the bed. If he thought Zeraa was a small child before, she looked absolutely tiny now. Wearing a shirt much too large for her, propped up against huge, white pillows, she looked small and weak. 

Zeraa looked down at her lap. “Zeepio said you were busy, so I didn’t think you were coming...” 

“That is correct. I have other, more important matters to be concerned about,” Maul answered. “But your Force signature is unsettled.” He decided not to address that he was uncomfortable knowing that she felt so disquieted.

Zeraa lay back against the cushions. “I guess...I just saw a lot of scary things today.”

“Compared to the horrors of war, child, all that is nothing,” Maul answered. “You should feel lucky that these minor things are all that you’ve had to experience.”

Zeraa looked down, crestfallen. Maul was about ready to turn around and leave, but there was some damning notion of responsibility that implored him to stay and talk to her. 

“Perhaps my words have not been helpful to you,” he started. “I am not accustomed to dealing with children and their...sensitivities. I will try to assist you in sorting out your feelings so that you may go to sleep.”

Zeraa sat up. “Okay,” she whispered simply. She looked up at him expectantly for a few seconds. “Um, are you gonna sit down?”

Maul had to think for a few seconds before he realized that she was asking him to sit down next to her on the bed. The notion was just so alien to him that he hadn’t considered even doing it. There was a part of him that wondered if he could just stand and talk to the child, but it would be easier if he was level with her.

Maul sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling too out of his element to really know how to act. He had never sat next to anyone’s bedside--it felt like something one would do with family, or close friends. Neither of which Maul had. Zeraa, however, did not seem to notice. As soon as he sat down, she reached her hand out to him, her stark red fingers outstretched. He stared at her hand for a few seconds before realizing that she wanted him to take it. “I allowed you to hold my hand before, but you must know that hand holding is not a regular habit of mine.”

“Mommy always holds my hand before I go to bed,” Zeraa answered brightly, unfazed by this subtle refusal. “And if I hold your hand, I can make sure nobody takes you away,” she added.

Maul tilted his head. This little girl believed that holding hands could ensure absolute safety, somehow. The naivete was striking. It was hard for him to imagine a viewpoint from which one could feel completely safe and protected. But perhaps this had been Zeraa’s entire life. And even though he still did not know the circumstances of their daily life, he could easily believe that Ahsoka ensured that Zeraa felt loved and secure.

Then again, Ahsoka tended to have that effect on people.

With a sigh, he accepted Zeraa’s hand, letting their entwined fingers rest against the blanket as she gave his hand a characteristic squeeze. 

Maybe there were some habits that could be broken after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah…not really sure what the correct terms for ‘email’ are in Star Wars. I think it’s literally just ‘email’, but that sounds way too ‘Earth’-sounding to me, so I decided to just call them ‘messages’ and they get delivered to an ‘inbox’.
> 
> Also please don’t quote me on the circumstances of Maul’s training with Palpatine! I just decided to go off what I think it must have been like, which is that it was probably very brutal and unforgiving. Also, I am not sure what’s up with Maul and eating, so I just decided to go with ‘he needs to eat eventually but can go long periods without it’. If I’ve gotten anything wrong, just let me know!
> 
> The next few chapters are less focused on action and more focused on Maul and Ahsoka (and Zeraa) so there will be a lot of small scenes and conversations. I like to think of my fics as character studies, so I hope I’ve gotten everyone right!
> 
> As always, I love seeing comments and hearing constructive criticism, or just random thoughts about Maul, Ahsoka, Maulsoka, and Star Wars in general.


	7. Guided Meditations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka's daughter Zeraa is having trouble sleeping after the strenuous events of the day. Maul goes to her and tries some meditation to relieve her stress, although it doesn't go quite the way he thought it would.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo.**

Maul regarded the child in front of him with a mix of disdain and curiosity. On the one hand, he was annoyed that he was being made to babysit this girl until Ahsoka got over the sedation. On the other hand...he found that he was starting to mind less and less. The paradoxical feelings were unusual for him--Maul was usually sure exactly how he felt about a particular situation, and the fact that he was uncertain was not boding well for him.

Zeraa’s Force signature had steadied itself finally. It had dropped back into that strong feeling of trust that she had shown him before, when he had been carrying her to the transport. Maul still felt odd about these feelings, but endeavored to push his discomfort to the back of his mind. He was aware that Zeraa could perceive his emotions, at least partially, and did not wish her to sense anything he wanted to keep hidden. Though he still found it awkward that she trusted him to begin with.

“So,” he started. “Would it be beneficial to you if we discussed the events of the day?” He supposed he would have to play therapist for the time being, at least until Zeraa could fall asleep. He actually had no idea how to go about talking to a child, but figured that perhaps Zeraa would find the conversation boring and fall asleep on her own.

Zeraa tapped thoughtfully against the palm of his hand with her fingers. “Maybe…I think so,” she whispered. She sank a little lower onto the pillows, blue eyes gazing up at him. _Ahsoka’s eyes…_

“Then perhaps you should begin,” Maul said. He tried to make his tone encouraging, but it was hard to do so. He so rarely encouraged anyone that he felt the tone was rather sarcastic. It certainly sounded that way to his ears.

Zeraa did not seem to notice. “Mom and I arrived on the ship from Raada…” she began. “And then we walked and stuff, and Mom got me a bantha toy. But...there was a man running around in the marketplace with a blaster.” She looked down briefly. “And then he grabbed my arm...but Mom took out her lightsabers and hurt him. And then Mom got hurt too.”

Maul was beginning to piece together the entire story. He considered trying to explain the concept of _hostages_ to Zeraa, but decided that it would be better to let her keep on telling her side of the story.. “Yes. You may continue.”

Zeraa nodded. “And then...an ambulance came for Mom and I got to ride in it too. But when I got to the hospital, the people took Mom away. They made me go down this long elevator to the little room that was so cold and dark.”

For his part, Maul did not quite think that the cell Zeraa had been left in was horrific. It had a light switch and a mattress. Maul thought back to his own childhood bedroom; it had been a dark room with a bedroll, and he had been left alone for days, sometimes weeks, when he had been underperforming during his training. _More than I had, growing up…_ he thought. But if this was a child used to farms, open spaces, and bright sunlight, as Zeraa was, he could imagine it was a stark and dramatic change. Even if he could not emphasize.

Zeraa continued to talk. “And then you came to get me, but then you killed all those people.” 

“Yes, that is exactly what happened,” Maul answered. Zeraa’s storytelling was somewhat disjointed and vague, and he was failing to see the deeper issues she had. It had all in all been an inconvenient episode, but she was alive. He could only imagine this was far more important than what had happened before. “What troubles you about this?”

Zeraa scrunched up her face. “A bunch of things,” she admitted. “Why was that guy in the marketplace running away? And why did Mom have to kill him?” 

“I am not sure of the exact circumstances, but I can surmise that he was trying to take you as a hostage,” Maul said. “Your mother killed him for the same reason I killed those stormtroopers. To protect you.”

“But both you and Mom hurt people ‘cause of me,” Zeraa said, looking down. “Mom always told me that we should treasure people’s lives...”

 _More of your honorable bullshit, Tano_ , Maul thought darkly. “I would say that when it comes to protecting something valuable, that rule is optional.” That was what he had learned during his practical studies, at least; animals will protect their offspring to the points of their own deaths. He supposed it was the same for sentient beings--though he had never experienced this type of feeling himself. The only for whom he would have given his life was his former master, Palpatine, that had been due to the indoctrination inflicted upon him as a child.

“But I don’t want anyone to die…”

“Child,” Maul began. “There is an important distinction here. You have relatively little choice in these matters. If there is a threat to your safety, it is reasonable for your mother to defend you. If she deemed there was a cause for harm, she acted upon it. It is the same principle I used when I chose to kill those stormtroopers. Whatever happened to those people was not your fault.” He decided to leave out the part where he admitted that he really did not care about the lives of Imperial fodder. They chose to put themselves in the service of the Empire--it was their fault they died so pointlessly. They had a chance to run, but instead they chose to engage him. So be it.

Zeraa was quiet for a few seconds. “Okay,” she said simply. “I think I get it...”

“You harbor too much guilt for what has happened,” Maul said simply. “You have many emotions within you.” 

Zeraa’s Force signature had hardly changed in the few minutes that they had been talking--she still radiated that strong feeling of trust, but her mind was still unsettled. He roved over the possible ways he could explain the concepts he wished to talk about; but all in all, she was just a little girl, and the notions of guilt and innocence seemed too abstract for her. But perhaps there was a way for him to make it palatable for her coherence. He was entirely unused to simplifying explanations, but maybe something literal would help here. 

“Have you ever done meditation?” he asked. As a child of Ahsoka, he supposed it could have gone either way. 

Zeraa thought for a few seconds. “Is that when you sit really still and close your eyes? Mom and I do that sometimes...”

“Then you are least accustomed to it. Sitting still is one part of it, but there are other facets that you must observe,” Maul explained. Meditation had always been something that Palpatine advocated for, bidding him to meditate for hours in a seated position on the floor. Sometimes, days. Maul knew that trying to emulate the type of control Palpatine inflicted upon him was more akin to torture than parenting. But he guessed that he might be able to pick out the helpful parts of that intense training--a routine that might benefit Zeraa now. “Very well. We will do some guided meditation.”

Zeraa seemed confused at this, but sat up. “Okay…”

Maul knew this exercise had to be somewhat brief; he doubted that he could hold her attention for longer than a few minutes, so they needed to work with what they had. “The purpose of this exercise is to quiet your mind and focus your emotions,” he explained. 

“What should we do?”

“As you said before. Sit still.” Despite the unfamiliarity of the situation, Maul found himself growing more relaxed; he had not consciously noticed, but he realized that he was no longer sitting on the edge of the bed. He had shifted his body, and was now sitting cross-legged, across from Zeraa. “Begin by steading your breath.”

Zeraa took a deep breath, and blew it out. “Like this?”

“Not quite. I will show you how to do it,” Maul offered. “It will help if you time your breaths with mine. We both have two hearts, so it should not be as difficult.” 

Maul willed himself into quiet, and began a deep inhale. Zeraa did the same, and listened for his exhale to let her breath out. “Again.”

Zeraa, as it turned out, was a willing student. She easily mastered the deep breathing exercise, as they sat for around ten minutes, their breathing the only sound in the room. Maul could feel her mind calming, somewhat; she was still not fully placated. Perhaps this next part would take care of that.

“Now, close your eyes,” he said, and Zeraa did as she asked, scrunching her eyes closed.

“I want you to discern the emotions within you. The pain...the guilt...the fear,” he said softly. “Do not try to push them away. Accept them as the results of your experiences. Bring them to the surface.” 

Zeraa’s eyes were shut tight, her breathing coming in deeper now. Maul could feel her mental energy as she endeavored to push the emotions up, to collect them in a specific place. He gave her a few minutes to complete this task--he knew that this would be difficult for her. These were probably emotions she had never strongly felt before, in her life.

He found himself somewhat dismayed as he noticed that despite her closed eyes, he could see traces of a tear rolling down her cheek. This girl was sensitive to emotions; she felt them strongly and fiercely with a pure ideation. _An ideal Sith apprentice_ , he thought absently, before quickly pushing that thought out of his mind. 

If he was still a Sith--and he did not consider himself a true Sith, not anymore--he would have been encouraging of these negative emotions. Fear, anger, pain--these were all the things that had driven his hatred for the Jedi, that had triggered his will to live. These were feelings that had given him power, and they were as familiar to him as his own memories. 

But this child was not adept in the Dark Side, or _Bogan_ \--though at this point he was having trouble discerning the type of aura that her Force signature emanated. When he had first encountered her, he had ascertained that her signature would be more akin to the Light Side, _Ashla,_ as Ahsoka’s was. But now that he had spent more time with her, he began to realize that her signature seemed more Balanced, _Bendu_ , than anything else. 

“Now,” he continued, feeling that he had given her enough time. "You must imagine that all of these emotions have transformed into a sphere of energy.”

“A sphere?”

“Yes. A ball,” Maul clarified. “Try it. And remember to breathe.” 

Zeraa nodded, her eyes still closed. She was still obviously having some kind of mental strain; her breaths were coming in harder now, and he could sense the turmoil within.

“Can you see it?” he asked presently. “In your mind?”

Zeraa nodded. “Yes. I see it.” Well, at least she had made some progress.

“You must reach out and take the sphere in your hands.” Zeraa reached out her fingers and grasped at the empty air, cupping her hands around the non-existent ball. 

“Do you have it?” Maul asked.

“Yes.”

“Now open your eyes. Do you see it?”

Zeraa opened her eyes and looked down at her cupped hands. “Oh, I see it now,” she said, even though there was only empty air.

Maul tilted his head. _Children and their imaginings,_ he thought. When he had been growing up, with Palpatine, imagination of this kind was discouraged. Not that he had anyone to play with--he had been raised exclusively by a droid caretaker who was immune to such flights of fancy. But he supposed it was a good thing that Zeraa was so willing to imagine these things--it made her more amenable to his suggestions.

“Now you must give the ball to me.”

Zeraa frowned. “Are you sure?” she asked, her face displaying a genuine concern. “They...they hurt a lot.”

Maul sighed. The concern that this little girl was showing for a person of his standing--a former Sith lord, and the head of the most powerful crime syndicate in the galaxy--was humorous. “Yes, I am sure,” he said, extending his hand to her.

Zeraa balanced the imaginary ball in her hand with an uncertain look, clutching her fingers around it. She raised her hands gingerly and released the empty air into Maul’s outstretched hand. 

Or it should have been empty air.

Instead, as soon as she released her hand, a giant rush of emotions began to engulf Maul in a strong, steady wave. Even though there was no physical object in his hand, he could feel the cold shivers of Zeraa’s emotions begin to creep up his arms and down his back, reminding him of his own experiences as a child.

 _Pain_. The pain of being shoved into a cold, dark room, alone. Much like the cell he’d been made to sleep in. That memory brought other ones with it--being deprived of food...not seeing light for weeks…

 _Fear_. The fear of being taken away from a guardian. As Maul had been taken from his mother, from his brothers and village, to face the rest of his life’s journey with a brutal master, who controlled his every move.

 _Guilt_ . The guilt of causing the deaths of so many people. Maul’s own guilt, however, did not lie in the number of lives he’d ended. His guilt stemmed from the fact that he had failed his master, that he had not been worthy of the title of _Sith_...

All these emotions, triggered by the energy that Zeraa had gathered, hit him so acutely that he felt he had to take a few steadying breaths. _A former Sith, and unable to process these emotions properly…no wonder I was a failure..._ he thought in self-deprecation. He fell silent for a few minutes, sifting through the heavy burdens of negative energy, not realizing that Zeraa was staring at him with a forlorn expression.

“I...I told you that you would feel it,” she began. “Mom always tells me that I have really strong feelings…”

Maul finished his last breath cycle. “Your emotions are...very intense,” he replied, as an understatement. “I was able to feel them very strongly.” Having Zeraa’s emotions trigger his own memories had softened him now; he had forgotten what it was like to be small and weak, to have no control.

Zeraa noticed his discomfort. “Did it hurt?” she whispered with a frown. “I bet they made you feel sad and upset.”

Maul did not say what was on his mind at the moment. _I always feel sad and upset_. Instead, he waved it off. “No, it didn’t hurt,” he answered. Physically, anyway. “I’m much older than you, so I’ve experienced these emotions before.”

Zeraa looked up at him. “You have?”

“Emotions, on their own, are neither good nor bad,” Maul said firmly. “They all contribute to the experience of one’s life. It all depends on what you do to act upon them. The emotions you were feeling--pain, fear, guilt...you were unable to find methods to channel them productively. I’ve taken them from you now, but perhaps in the future, you will be able to use them for your benefit.” 

Zeraa seemed doubtful, but sat back anyway. “So I can just... _give_ you bad feelings?”

“Yes, apparently,” Maul answered. “But it takes a great amount of effort. It is not something I recommend doing often.” Though he could not discount the fact that he had been taken off guard. He had been trying to deceive Zeraa into thinking that she could actually give him her emotions, by forming them into an imaginary ball; except that the ball had been real. What had started as a simple, childish exercise had quickly become a thorough Force cleanse of her mind. A power which Maul had never used before, and one that he didn’t know he could harness. He was not sure what purpose this power would serve, but it was helpful to know that he had it.

Zeraa seemed extremely relieved. “Okay...thank you for taking them away,” she whispered. “I think I had too many of them inside me today. But I’m glad they’re gone...they were hurting me.”

Maul only nodded. _Indeed…_ he thought. Zeraa was so innocent; she had manipulated the Force without knowing it. If Maul himself had been affected by the strength of her emotions, how much more would she have felt them, in her small, untrained mind?

He could feel a curling, a folding of the Force now. Ahsoka’s signature, which had been unusually faint while she was recovering, had steadied itself. It had grown a little stronger in the past few minutes. It felt brightened, and nearer, somehow. The changing shape of the signature was starting to distract him, and he forced his mind back to the child in front of him. He could deal with that later.

“Well, do you feel more relaxed now?” he inquired.

Zeraa nodded. “Mmmhmm.” She sank back into the pillows, looking up at him. “Yeah…” she said with a yawn. Her eyes already seemed to be growing heavy.

“Good. Perhaps you will be able to sleep.” Maul started to rise from the bed, but Zeraa grabbed the end of his sleeve.

“Could you...could you just stay with me?” she asked. “Until I fall asleep.”

Maul frowned halfheartedly. After absorbing the full strength of Zeraa’s emotions, he was about ready for some mental rest as well. Not to mention that his associates might have written to him in the meantime, with recommendations for splicers that could assist in Imperial record wiping. 

Zeraa let go, eyes downcast. “Nevermind. It’s just that Mommy always stays until I fall asleep.”

“More bad habits,” Maul said dryly. But he did not stir from his place at her bedside. “If you insist.”

Zeraa nodded as she pushed back against the pillows, sinking down into them. She rolled over to her side, slightly tucking her hands against her cheek. Maul found himself standing up from the bed and absently tucking the blankets around her, making sure that her arms and shoulders were covered. _Why am I doing this?_ he thought in consternation. He still wasn’t sure why he was humoring her. Zeraa was a strange child to begin with, and he was only tolerating her presence because of her connection to Ahsoka. But he was feeling that odd protectiveness well up inside him again, even though he had tried to push it away. 

Being tucked in was an effective cure for Zeraa’s unrest. It turned out that he didn’t have to wait long for Zeraa to fall asleep. Nearly a minute after she closed her eyes, her head began drooping, and her breathing began to even out. She had been so exhausted by the events of the day that, once rid of her negative emotions, it was easy for her to lose consciousness.

Maul watched her warily. A Togruta girl with Zabrak trappings. _I hope you have a good explanation for this,_ he thought darkly.

He turned his head slowly towards the door into the hallway, which was slightly ajar. _And yes, I felt you standing there five minutes ago._

_-_

**A little while earlier.**

She was immersed in that pleasant dream again--the dream where things had gone the way they were supposed to. The dream where she had never been accused of bombing the Jedi Temple, and had served out her term as padawan to Anakin Skywalker. The dream where she had eventually become a full-fledged Jedi Knight in her own right. The dream where Padmé had not died, where Anakin had not fallen to the dark side. The dream where she now had a padawan of her own, a little Togruta girl with red skin and small horns…

Ahsoka opened her eyes. This particular dream was always so pleasant that she never wanted to leave it. But she had to awake to reality--that things had gone quite the opposite direction. Except for the little girl. She was the only thing in that dream that carried over into her waking moments. _At least I have Zeraa._

She sat up with a groan, still feeling a dull ache in her head. The last thing she had remembered was the back of the transport. Maul had brought Zeraa to her, and then she had passed out…

_Where…?_

She bolted straight up, looking around her. She was in a huge circular bed, enclosed by soft blankets and large, fluffy pillows. Although the glow lamps in the room were darkened, she could still make out the furnishings. The room around her was opulent in a way that she hadn’t seen in quite some time; there was a stone fireplace, a desk with a holoscreen built into it. There was even a vanity with a large mirror. 

To her left, a heart monitor beeped steadily, reading signals from the electrodes on her chest. She was still dressed in the same thin gown that she had been wearing at the hospital. Her shoulder ached as she touched the ragged patch of healing flesh, encased in a bacta bandage. Her injury hadn’t been life-threatening, but it was unpleasant all the same. 

_Where is Zeraa?_ she thought, her heart fluttering. _And Maul…?_

She pushed the blankets off her body and gingerly stood. This time, though she wobbled slightly, she was able to keep her balance. She walked to the tall white doors, pushing them open and observing the environment around her.

She was on the second floor of an opulent mansion, with skylights for ceilings and antiques lining the hallway. She could look down onto the first landing, noticing the grand, sweeping staircase. She was able to see by the light of numerous glow lamps that were set into the walls, casting a warm, white light. _Does Maul own this place?_ she thought, sharpening her senses. It felt too gaudy for his tastes. 

She did not wish to divulge herself just yet--she needed to take stock of the situation she was in. After all, she did not know what type of man Maul had become in the intervening six years. Although he had rescued them, she was unsure how he felt about anything else. If worse came to worse, she would need to take Zeraa and escape--successfully, this time. Though she prayed that he did not have ill intent towards them; she knew that the way they had ended their relationship was not ideal. But that was in the past.

One of the doors down the hallway was ajar, and she crept up near it. She peered into the room, able to look through the doorway into the scene beyond. The room was much like the one she had been placed in--wardrobe, vanity, cabinets. Two figures were sitting on the bed, on the far side of the room. The larger figure was sitting cross-legged, looking away from her. It was unmistakable. Clad all in black, his head angled downwards, she could make out the appearance of Maul. 

And just beyond Maul, facing him, tucked into bed and propped up against the pillows--Zeraa.

Ahsoka nearly burst into the room to see if Zeraa was okay, but she willed herself to pause. Zeraa’s Force signature was calm and relaxed; she did not seem to be in any kind of distress. Maul’s signature was displaying some particular feelings that seemed uncharacteristic--he seemed pensive, full of caution, with a sliver of pacification.

He and Zeraa seemed like they had been having a conversation.

She felt her body grow rigid. Surely Maul had figured it all out by now. And at the moment, she had no way to know what he thought about it without intruding on his mind, which would certainly give her away. She focused her senses, letting her montrals pick up the voices that were meters away.

 _Well, do you feel more relaxed now?_ Maul was inquiring.

Zeraa nodded. _Mmmhmm_ , she said. _Yeah._ She sank back into the pillows, still looking up at him.

 _Good. Perhaps you’ll be able to get to sleep._ Maul shifted slightly, as if he was preparing to rise from the bed.

But Zeraa had grabbed his sleeve. _Could you...could you stay with me? Until I fall asleep._

Maul did not reply to this, and Zeraa’s face seemed to grow sad. _Nevermind. It’s just that Mommy always stays until I fall asleep._

Ahsoka felt her heart slipping. It was true; every night before Zeraa went to bed, they would hold hands and talk about their day. It was maddening not to be able to do that now, but she still needed to wait and see. _Wait_ , she told herself. _Wait._

 _More bad habits,_ Maul replied. But to Ahsoka’s surprise, instead of leaving, he sat still on the bed. _If you insist._

She could see Zeraa shifting over in bed before closing her eyes. But Zeraa had always been an easy child; she quickly fell into a deep slumber, her small lekku trailing against her shoulder as her body relaxed. She had quickly fallen asleep. 

Now, even more surprising--Maul gently stirred from his place now, uncrossing his legs and swinging both feet down to the floor. He rose up and started tucking the sheets in around her. In her entire life, Ahsoka never thought she would see Maul being so genuinely tender.

Maul paused for a minute, observing the sleeping girl with a pensive air. He had consciously opened his mind now, and she could hear his thoughts loud and clear. _I hope you have a good explanation for this._ He then turned his head towards the door, meeting Ahsoka’s eyes with an unsurprised glance. And then she heard his voice inside her mind.

_And yes, I felt you standing there five minutes ago._

She felt her heart stop in her chest. She should have known better than to try to evade Maul like this. He had been trained so efficiently that he probably would have noticed as soon as she woke up.

He tilted his head so slightly that it was almost imperceptible. _Come here._

Even though he was not using the Force to manipulate her in any way, she could still feel the tantalizing tones in his voice when he gave commands like this. Commands that she was inclined to follow. She pushed the door open and entered the room, Maul tracking her every step. She came up next to him, giving him a wary glance before she came to take Maul’s place on the bed.

Maul felt himself growing disarmed by Ahsoka’s presence. He had known that Ahsoka had been standing there, watching them, for the past few minutes. He had almost called out to her then--but he sensed that it would be easier for Zeraa to fall asleep without distractions. As soon as she saw Ahsoka, she would have flown into an excitement that would have negated the relaxation that had come upon her.

Zeraa had quickly lapsed into a peaceful unconsciousness, and did not stir even when Ahsoka placed a gentle hand against her forehead. Ahsoka opened her mind to Maul willingly now, looking up at him. _Thank you. For saving her._

Maul regarded her coolly. He could not say that he was angry--not yet, anyway. But even if Ahsoka hadn’t explicitly lied to him, he felt that she had concealed something of great importance from him. All he needed from her was the truth.

Ahsoka beat him to the punch.

_Yes. Zeraa is your child._

She could feel an immediate unrest emanating from Maul now, even as he stood behind her, calmly looking down at their daughter.

_How?_

Ahsoka shook her head, bringing her eyes down to her lap. 

_I don’t know._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More interactions of Maul with lil bab. The basis for the scene with the ball of negative emotions is that it's easier for kids to able to think about abstract notions by making them into symbols. Except that the symbols shouldn't actually 'be' the things. I tried to really portray the fact that Maul absorbs Zeraa's emotions into himself and they trigger things he felt that as a child, that he thought he was done with. I re-read some more of Darth Maul's Episode I journal to be able to get more of an idea of how he grew up with Palpatine, yikes.
> 
> Also yeah, Maul is the kind of person who thinks that 'guided meditations' are an ideal thing that any kid would want to do XD
> 
> Also, Ahsoka is awake now! I feel like she's spent most of this fic knocked out and I am glad to have her back in conversations. And looking forward to the next chapter, where Ahsoka and Maul get to have an actual conversation in a calm, not dangerous setting.
> 
> As always, I love hearing constructive criticism and comments about Ahsoka, Maul, Maulsoka, or legit any facet of Star Wars in general. Tell me anything at all :)


	8. Face to Face

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Ahsoka finally awake, she and Maul can begin to unravel the past six years they spent apart. Tensions run high, especially when it comes to the topic of the little girl. Although they try to keep their tempers under control, seeing each other triggers beloved memories for them both.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo.**

_Zeraa is your child._

_How?_

_I don’t know._

The first thing that entered Maul’s mind was confusion. 

The second was disappointment. 

The third was rage.

Ahsoka had not turned from her position at Zeraa’s bedside, even though she was breathing harder, adrenaline spurred on by the fact that she had now confirmed Zeraa’s relationship to Maul. She was trying to keep herself together; although she was not the kind of person who usually trembled, she felt like she was losing her nerves. But the truth was that she had never realistically believed she would see Maul again. And though she had imagined, many times, what she would tell him if she did--she was not quite prepared for the reactions he would have.

_Maul…_

Maul himself was unprepared for the reactions he was having. As the emotions unfurled within him, he suddenly found that he could no longer look at the sleeping child anymore. Without communicating to Ahsoka, Maul turned away from the bed, swiftly walking across the room and exiting through the door. He walked down the hallway, to the room serving as his bedroom, and strode inside. 

-

Maul found himself unable to mentally process the truth.

From the moment he had laid eyes on Zeraa he had known that he was her father. Her montrals, lekku, facial markings, and eye color were all from Ahsoka. But her red skin, horns, the two hearts--these were from him.

He had known that. He had felt her in the Force before he even knew she existed, when he had felt her anguished feelings reaching out to him as he tried to get into Theed Hospital. But somehow, Ahsoka’s confirmation of the fact left him with an unfamiliar burst of emotions. Even though he had been able to calm himself after absorbing Zeraa’s negative thoughts, he now found himself out of control again.

Confusion. Disappointment. Rage. Disgust. Excitement. Pride. 

And other, less, familiar ones. The desire to belong. The urge to protect. And still, his first question. _How?_

_How? How?_

He repeated the phrase over and over to himself. In this passionate state, he did not notice that he was now seething with emotions, pacing back and forth from the window to the bed, as he used to do during battle. Seething was a Sith technique; he had used it during his ill-fated battle with Kenobi and Jinn, and many times before. Seething during battle was a method of channeling Force powers; but now, it was a way to let his emotions out before they completely engulfed him. 

His mind drifted back to the customs of his home planet. On Dathomir, there was a clear division between the two genders present on the planet--male and female. The women, the Nightsisters, with their dark Force skills, dominated the men. A Nightbrother was only as good as his physical characteristics--fitness, strength, build. But the Nightsisters were mainly interested in one aspect--virility. Men were chosen as mates based on the expectation that they would be able to father fine, strong children. For some reason, boys were born more frequently. Sons were tolerated; they were raised and provided with food and shelter, viewed as necessary for the continuation of the community.

But girls--another story entirely. Daughters were prized and adored, loved beyond measure. A Nightbrother who sired a daughter was held in high esteem by the rest of the clan. Every man raised in the village was taught that his main goal, besides doing the rest of the Nightsisters’ whims, was to conceive a daughter.

Maul had only spent the first few years of his life on Dathomir before being given up to Palpatine. But after the Clone Wars, he had established his base of operations on Dathomir. He had been able to remember the tenets of his culture just by being there. But he knew the Nightsisters no longer viewed him as a man; not when it became known that his body was mostly mechanical. To the Nightsisters, being unable to father children was akin to not existing. And this hadn’t bothered Maul in the slightest; he was uninterested in their acceptance to begin with. 

But now, with the reality of fatherhood on his mind, he began to wonder if it had truly meant something to him after all. His clan had a proverb that they would quote often, as a blessing or a prayer.

_He who brings forth a daughter is worthy of admiration and honor._

And even though it was a worthless platitude, Maul felt the unease growing within him. He began to wonder if he had earned this praise. Was he now a man worthy of such commendation? His thoughts darted frantically through his mind, unable to settle on one specific thing.

_I have fathered a child. A_ daughter _, no less..._

Another issue arose now--Ahsoka. The only person he had ever developed deep, illogical feelings towards. The woman who had left him behind all those years ago, after she was done with him. For some reason that wound had never healed--he felt that he always carried the pain of rejection inside him, only pushing it down so that he could carry on with business as usual. 

And now it pained him even more. Ahsoka had hidden herself and given birth to _his_ daughter. The very thing he had always wanted--some semblance of a family--had been out there in the galaxy, concealed from him, and he never would have known about if he and Ahsoka hadn’t been on Naboo at the same time.

That was where the rage came in. 

-

Ahsoka sat by Zeraa’s bedside for a while longer, trying to calm herself. She could feel Maul through the Force--his signature was a jumble of thoughts. At the moment, his thoughts lacked coherence; he would begin one thought before properly entering another, and Ahsoka did not try to dig deeper than that. Maul was brooding again, as he usually did when he was thinking. His thoughts were slowly sliding into rage, and that was when Ahsoka closed her mind to him. 

Mentally, Ahsoka was still too exhausted, too shaken, to be concerned with this right now. She had brought Zeraa to Naboo for a simple day excursion; she would buy some tools and supplies, Zeraa would get a few new toys, and they would return home to Raada. She had not set out to be injured, almost captured by the Empire, and rescued by her former lover in one day. It was almost too much to process all at once. 

Maul could brood a bit longer. She wasn’t going to approach him in this state. He needed to process the news on his own terms. Nothing she could say to him would change his mind--he had to make it up for himself. Zeraa was his, biologically, but it remained to be seen whether he would accept her. 

And Ahsoka found herself unable to decide whether she wanted Maul to accept her or not. On the one hand, she wanted Maul to at least acknowledge her existence; on the other hand, if he rejected her, that would make it easier to leave him when the time came. She knew it had been doomed from the beginning.

After thirty minutes Ahsoka finally felt she had calmed herself as best as she could, given the situation. She gave Zeraa a soft pat on the shoulder, and bent down to give her a small kiss on the forehead before she stood. The glow lamps around the room still shone brightly. Ahsoka walked to the doorway, locating a light switch and dimming the lamps before she went. Zeraa was not yet at an age where she could sleep in complete darkness. She shut the door softly behind her; she would check in on Zeraa in a few hours, before the morning.

She went to lean against the railing, her eyes drifting towards the ground floor of the mansion; to the ornate stained glass decorations on the doors and windows, the marble busts that were set into pedestals on either side of the entrance. She let her thoughts drift freely, knowing that the only way to sort out her feelings was to get through them, confront them.

And her feelings about the entire matter were complicated, to say the least. Although she had been the one to end their relationship--if it could even be called such a thing--she had never truly stopped having feelings for Maul. Sometimes--usually at night, in the dark, when she was alone in her room--she would think about her time with Maul on that desolate planet. Maul had been her only point of reference on sex; he was the first and only person she had ever slept with. 

She remembered those memories so clearly. The first time they kissed; the first time he entered her body; the feelings of rapture she had never felt before. She would go back to those moments over and over again, reliving those gestures and caresses. When she touched herself, in her arousal she would think about him, knowing that these were events that should have been forgotten. 

In the narrative she had constructed, Maul had forgotten all about their tryst on Bogano, and moved on to other interests. And even though her body ached for him, at times, she would always remind herself that it was a fantasy. And then she would come back to reality. To the reason why she had chosen not to follow him down the path he offered her.

Ahsoka had her own path to follow.

And although Zeraa had not been part of that initial plan, Ahsoka would never imagine a way forwards without her. She had never planned on contacting Maul to tell him about their daughter. If she had done that, Maul never would have let her go; she and Zeraa would have been captives of Crimson Dawn. 

Just as they seemed to be now. 

And now that Maul knew the truth--now that he knew how long she had hidden Zeraa from him--she wasn’t sure what he was going to do.

At that point, she felt a firm pull in the Force. She always knew when Maul wanted to feel her signature, and she let him into her mind now, ready to tell him what he would want to know.

He reached out first. _I am ready to speak with you._

_I figured_ , she thought back. She didn’t even need to ask where he was. She followed the strength of his signature to a room down the hallway, opening the tall doors and entering the master bedroom. 

She saw Maul’s outline against the large viewing window; that familiar shape, arms crossed, feet together. It was a stance he often took when he was in deep thought. He did not turn when she entered the room, and she really hadn’t expected him to. Maul had a flair for dramatics at times, and sometimes she couldn’t tell whether he was exaggerating, or whether his thoughts really were that dark. This time, however, she had a notion that it was a little bit of both. 

She came up to the window to stand next to him. The window looked upon the back garden of the residence; small stone lanterns set into the garden illuminated the large spring flowers and well-kept bushes outside. _Zeraa would love to see this_ , she thought, before quieting her thoughts again.

“I am uncertain why you are awake,” Maul began. “The med droid said that you would be asleep until midday tomorrow.”

“I just woke up all of a sudden,” she replied. “I wanted to see where Zeraa was.” Maul’s attempt at self-control was short-lived. Ahsoka could feel his anger bubbling up towards the surface. “Look...I know you’re upset. You have every reason to be, but--”

“I don’t think _upset_ is the right word in this case, Lady Tano,” Maul snapped, turning to face her. “I am feeling quite a few emotions at the moment. Perhaps I’ll _lay_ them out for you,” he continued. “Firstly, you will recall that we did not part on mutual terms. I wanted you to stay, and you chose to leave.” 

“Yes, I remember,” Ahsoka answered slowly. Perhaps Maul did not realize how painful that memory had been for her, too. “That was right after we left Mandalore,” she argued. “We were both lonely and desperate. We were just using each other’s bodies because we had nothing left...”

Maul turned his head sharply. “We had each other,” he said simply. “Although I suppose you did not feel the same way I did about the situation.” He was forced to finally confront the fact that perhaps Ahsoka had been able to move on and forget about their encounters; maybe she had only filed it into the back of her mind, and it was now a memory whose light had long since been extinguished. If that was the case, then it was more than humiliating for him; to be unable to move past a situation that she had been able to get over. 

“Maul...you knew I had feelings for you. They were real,” Ahsoka protested. “I never said anything that I didn’t believe. But back then...our judgments were clouded. I’m sure that after a few more weeks of having sex, we would have come to our senses and snapped out of it.”

“Snapped out of it?” Maul repeated, narrowing his eyes. “Have you _snapped out of it_?”

Ahsoka hesitated before answering. Her thoughts wandered back to all the nights she had thought of him as she touched herself, squeezing her eyes shut, wishing for his weight against her body. “No. No, I haven’t,” she admitted, breathing a little harder now. “But think about what was possible. For real, this time. Our relationship couldn’t have lasted beyond what we were doing physically…” Ahsoka’s eyes fluttered downwards. “We’re just too different.”

She felt stupid all of a sudden. She was talking to the man who she had chosen to leave, and whose daughter she had hidden. And she was admitting that there was a part of her--no, all parts of her--that still loved him. 

Maul could feel Ahsoka’s conflict, but he was too wounded to give in. “It’s no matter now, I suppose,” he continued. He continued his narrative. “Time passes and I hear nothing from you for six years. I arrive on this cursed planet to find out that you have been captured by Imperial forces. Through no small effort I free you, though I have now risked detection of my own involvement.” The operatives of Crimson Dawn were always instructed to avoid interactions with the Empire, and Maul held himself to that standard. And now he had gone and slaughtered thirty stormtroopers while freeing two important captives, making a spectacle of himself and jeopardizing the delicate cover he had constructed for the syndicate.

“I didn’t ask you to rescue me…” Ahsoka continued, her hands balling into fists, though she felt that her control on her emotions was beginning to slip.

“Lastly, you ask me to rescue your child. A girl with red skin, horns, and two hearts. Tano...you…” He found that he was unable to finish completely. “You should have come to me when you found out that you were pregnant. If we had detected the problem before--”

“ _Stop_.” Ahsoka kept her voice low, and the word came through in a dangerous whisper. Her hands were trembling now, fists shaking in anger. Although she had been restraining herself, she now came closer to him, grabbing him by the folds of his tunic, bringing her face closer to his. 

“If you _ever_ refer to our daughter as a _problem_ again, I will personally make sure that all your body parts are severed permanently,” she said, the threat coming out in a low growl. “And I will bury each one on a different planet myself.”

She was almost to the point of rage herself as she let go of him. Maul stepped back, but was ultimately unsurprised that she had acted this way. “Only you would have the nerve to threaten me like that,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “Fine. The child is not a problem for simply existing. But she became a personal issue for me when I realized I had to rescue her as well. And when I realized who she truly was.”

Ahsoka couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Are you actually complaining that you had to rescue her?!” she gasped. 

“I believe I have a right to feel somewhat inconvenienced.” Maul knew that he was being cruel, but his anger was nearly at a breaking point. 

Ahsoka, however, decided that she wasn’t having it. “You think you’ve had a bad day?” she asked mockingly. “Have you ever stopped to think about the type of day I’ve had?” 

She could feel her breathing begin to tighten as her own anger slowly came pouring forth. “Zeraa--the person I love most--was almost taken hostage. And then she was kidnapped. I thought I would never see her again. And I was too wounded to rescue her. My lightsabers were taken from me.” She flexed her hands, missing the feel of her weapons against her palm. “And _you_ come along to save the day, only to turn around and accuse me of making things difficult for you?!” 

She paused briefly. “And what about Zeraa? You talked to her. She was scared and frightened.”

Maul was beginning to feel the anger that was radiating from her, even though she had been doing her best to keep it under control. He found himself raising his voice. “Your reappearance in my life has complicated things greatly, Tano,” he said, blazing with exasperation. “I was content to believe that you had disappeared for good. Having you back in my life is causing me to go through the same emotions I had when you left.”

“If I could take everything back that happened today, I would,” Ahsoka argued. “I would have stayed on Raada, and you would never know about us. And we would all be the better off for it.” Although she had held back tears throughout the conversation, she found her eyes watering as she looked down. She knew that she had taken the right path, as it had called to her at that moment, six years ago when she had left Maul. But now, standing before him again, she wasn’t sure what path she would be taking anymore.

They stood there, face to face, both forced to confront the fact that they still had affection for each other, even if their union had been built out of loneliness and desperation. Having six years to remember those moments had only deepened their desires. And the presence of the little girl, a tangible sign of their connection, only complicated things.

Maul looked at her dispassionately. “Unfortunately, this is the way things have turned out,” he began. “Zeraa is mine, and yet there is no chance I could have impregnated you. Do you believe this doesn’t confuse me? Or wound me, that you would hide this from you?”

“I didn’t really know you, Maul. We both didn’t know each other very well.” Ahsoka looked away. “I wasn’t sure if you would believe when I said there hadn’t been anyone else. Or if you would have wanted to be a father to her.”

“Why couldn’t you at least endeavor to find out?” Maul asked, incensed. “Do you know how adored daughters are, to my people? How much of a blessing it is to conceive one?”

Ahsoka frowned. She had known that the Nightsisters and Nightbrothers lived in completely different worlds, but she had not known their preference for daughters was so strong. Ahsoka could feel the emotions breaking out of him as they stared at each other, the atmosphere nearly glowing with tension. 

She could now feel a new sentiment emanating from him, one that she never would have thought to feel. She slowly shook her head. “It’s too late,” she said, breathing in and out, attempting to steady herself. “We’ve gone and made things too complicated.” It would be hard for her to leave him now; she couldn’t be sure that their paths were crossing for a reason, this time. For the right reason.

“What are you talking about?” Maul asked, narrowing his eyes.

“You really are dense sometimes, you know that?” she screamed. She couldn’t blame Maul for being unable to identify how he was feeling. It wasn’t an emotion that one could fully understand until they experienced it for themselves. And Maul had been so deprived of this during his childhood that she knew the feeling was new to him.

She was the one to turn away from him then. “Maybe you don’t know it yet,” she said softly. Her thoughts flickered back to little Zeraa, sleeping so soundly and innocently in the room just a few paces away. “But you’ve already started to love her.” 

-

**The present - 13 BBY. Aboard the First Light - personal yacht of Dryden Vos.**

The comlink next to the bed started emitting a low, annoying noise, beeping red as it began to signal a call. After two beeps it activated itself automatically; unlike normal comlinks, this specimen was programmed to turn itself on whenever there was an issue, no matter how trivial the matter seemed. It had been a gift--one that could not have been refused.

“Qi'ra.” Dryden’s voice came out loud and clear, with just a hint of static. “Qi'ra, my dear.”

Qi'ra sat up quickly, stifling a groan. She had trained herself to wake as soon as she heard the comlink beep. And she knew better than to let on that she wasn’t in the mood. “Yes, Dryden,” she said, sitting up in bed, smoothing out the coarse, old shirt she usually wore to sleep. “What is it?”

She had been owned by Dryden long enough to know his moods. Sometimes his tone was agitated; those were the nights when he would drag her out of bed to drone on, listening to the sound of his own voice, about endless streams of random anecdotes or philosophical queries. And sometimes he was merely horny; a blowjob was enough to get him to shut up, and then she could go back to sleep until the morning.

But this particular tone--the one he was using right now--was unusual. It was a tone he had when he was dealing with something--someone--larger than himself. And if she knew Dryden, it could only be _his_ boss--Maul. To be fair, Maul usually let Dryden do as he pleased these days. But Dryden only sounded this anxious when something with Maul was amiss. And whatever it was, it had to be of the utmost importance. After all, they were due to arrive on Naboo for a meeting with him in a day and a half. If this was a mere observation or provision, Maul would have held it until then. This matter had to be urgent.

“I need you to come to my office immediately. We have an issue,” Dryden’s voice said, crackling over the comlink.

“Right away, my lord,” she said, pushing the sleepy tones out of her voice. She hurriedly rose from her bed, immediately slipping the old shirt off her body. The shirt was torn and discolored, but she had kept it through the past few years, through her enslavement and servitude; it had belonged to a dear friend of hers, back on Corellia. A friend who had made it out of a life of subjugation and freed himself, while she had been left behind.

Her private room on the First Light was luxurious and opulent, but to her it was just a gilded cage. She activated the door that led to the walk-in closet, which illuminated itself as she padded in. There was an entire rack of expensive lingerie that Dryden had purchased for her; the price was enough to buy an entire city. She selected a suitable set to wear--a lacy, see-through blue corset with matching underclothes and stockings. 

Even if she wasn’t going to Dryden’s room to fuck him, she knew that she was expected to look seductive at all times. This was why she always had the same routine before going to bed; curling her hair, trimming and painting her nails, applying make-up that did not rub off on her pillow.

She had become an expert at undressing and redressing. In another minute she was wearing the see-through underclothes, hurriedly pulling on a silky blue dressing gown trimmed in fur. She took one quick look at herself in the mirror. _As if I always look this way_ , practicing her smile. It was certainly better than being chained and starving.

She deemed herself acceptable and walked out the door.

-

Dryden was in his office, sitting at his chair, hunched over his computer console. Qi'ra strode into the room, trying to look as though it was really no trouble that she had been awoken in the middle of the night. He barely looked up as Qi'ra entered. 

“My lord,” she greeted. She knew he loved it when she called him that, even when he wasn’t expecting her to bend over and offer herself to him. “What’s happened?”

“Come,” Dryden said simply. Qi'ra frowned, knowing that she had made the effort of getting dressed up for nothing. When Dryden was this distracted, sex was the last thing on his mind.

She walked behind his desk, looking down at the console. “Here, read this,” he commanded, making room for her to take a look.

Qi'ra leaned down over his shoulder, her eyes flitting across the screen.

_Need a slicer able to hack into the Imperial Registry for record wiping. More details will follow once selection is made. Contact me with recommendations. Expect to hear them no later than midday tomorrow._

This was...unusual, to say the least. In all the time she had been working for Dryden--close to a year now--Maul had never sent a text message directly. He seemed to prefer holographic conferences--it was definitely more intimidating to talk to his image directly, in real time, than it was to read words on a screen.

And even though Qi'ra herself had never spoken to Maul directly, she had sat in on enough meetings between him and Dryden that she had memorized the way Maul spoke. Purposefully and deliberately, sometimes lengthening his sentences to prove a point. Qi'ra had mastered the art of reading tones. 

The tones in this message read _urgent_ in a way she had never seen Maul talk before. Something about the situation was desperate. What could possibly be troubling the most powerful crime lord in the galaxy?

“A splicer?” she echoed, coming back to herself. 

“Apparently,” Dryden said, his voice tinged with annoyance. He looked over to Qi'ra expectantly. “You’ll have to help me come up with a short list.”

Qi'ra leaned back from the screen. “I take it that if Lord Maul likes our pick, we’ll be heading to Naboo a day early.”

“I presume,” Dryden said. “I do intend for him to pick our selection. So you’ll have to make sure to think of a suitable candidate.”

“I suppose…” Qi'ra drifted off. There was someone she had in mind, though she wasn’t sure if Dryden would agree. 

“I would think you would have some suggestions by now, dear girl,” Dryden said dispassionately. “I purchased you because I thought you were intelligent.”

Qi'ra ignored this insult. She was used to them by now, and besides--words were only words. Better than being beaten or physically abused. Dryden had not resorted to that type of abuse--yet, anyway. But her former master, Sarkin Enneb, had been keen on it. It was a pity that he had died in such a mysterious manner.

“Give me ten minutes and I’ll have a list of names,” she said. “I can think of a dozen splicers, but only a few that would be up to Lord Maul’s standards.”

Maybe there was a certain scoundrel who would be up to the task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Maul and Ahsoka finally get to talk! In a situation where Ahsoka isn’t in danger or knocked out! And Maul isn’t in the middle of fighting or rescuing people!
> 
> I keep saying that every chapter is hard for me to write. The challenge in this one proved to be that they needed to have an argument that hurt. So I had to really work myself up, put myself in either of their shoes, and ask myself how I would feel if the situation happened to me. 
> 
> Some notes about Dathomiri customs. I specified that male and female are the two genders that exist on Dathomir, but there are other genders around the galaxy :) I also have no idea what their beliefs are, with sons vs. daughters. But I would guess that the Nightsisters prefer girls, and this preference has probably found its way into the Nightbrothers’ culture as well. I sort of wanted to drive home the fact that Maul was emasculated and his own potency was taken away from him, both physically and mentally. So in his mind, being a father to a daughter is sort of like a ‘Wow, I never would have thought I’d be in a place where I would have pride’ kind of deal. 
> 
> Also, we now have the introductions of some of our B-plot characters—Qi’ra and Dryden! Although the main focus of the story will be Maul and Ahsoka, I figure that sometimes we need to take a break from their angst to see what some of their acquaintances and associates might be up to. For what it’s worth, I really love writing Qi’ra! It’s a big contrast to writing Maul and Ahsoka. Other characters will start to come in as well!
> 
> Also…I am aware that the timeline of this pic doesn’t add up with the Solo movie timeline. In 13 BBY, Han and Qi’ra would have still been living in Corellia. But I figured it was just too much fun to have to leave Qi’ra out for purely timing reasons, so I decided to just change it up a little :)
> 
> Again, I am super open to comments and constructive criticism! I love reading everyone's thoughts :) Please feel free to write in comments about this, Maul, Ahsoka, Maulsoka, and anything Star Wars related!


	9. Rebonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maul and Ahsoka continue to have some words for each other about the origin of their daughter. They find a way to communicate to each other, and Ahsoka is able to show Maul memories that may hold keys to the truth.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo.**

“You’ve already started to love her.”

Ahsoka decided to let Maul think about this for a few minutes. She couldn’t blame him for not being able to express his feelings. She knew the type of parenting he had received. As a father figure, Palpatine had only raised him to be an instrument of death; love and patience had been the last things on his mind, and Maul had been replaced as soon as he had been defeated. And even though Maul spoke well of his mother, the Nightsister socrecess Talzin, that was also suspect. Talzin had also waited ten whole years before sending Savage out to look for Maul, even though she knew he had been living a miserable existence on Lotho Minor that whole time.

Ahsoka did not exactly have the advantage of being raised by parents either. But when it came to her  _ family _ , she knew that she had developed one within the Jedi. Plo Koon, the master who had brought her as a toddler to the Jedi Temple; he had been the first to notice her potential. Obi-Wan, who had fought alongside her in so many battles; he had taught her so much about patience and restraint.

And Anakin. A devoted master, a surrogate father, a big brother, and everything in between. He hadn’t been a perfect master; but in the end, when everyone else believed she was guilty for bombing the Jedi Temple, he was the only one who spoke out. Who fought for her. Who ran after her, begging her not to leave him.

No, Ahsoka had been loved. Technically love was forbidden amongst the Jedi, but now that Ahsoka had put a few years between her departure from the order and now, she knew that it had indeed been love. Perhaps it hadn’t been parental love, but she had been allowed to feel the love of a padawan towards their masters, the love experienced in strong friendships, and the love that came from being part of a community. 

So she had some concept of familial love before she had given birth to Zeraa. Of course, nothing could have really prepared her to experience the all-encompassing love that she had developed for her daughter; but then again, nothing ever really prepares anyone for that. She had needed to learn this on her own. But she learned it minute by minute, day by day. It wasn’t a love that could be mastered in a few short hours. It needed to be cultivated by a skilled and devoted heart. But having a child as naturally loving as Zeraa certainly helped.

Maul had never experienced any of that. He was experiencing awkward feelings of affection and fondness towards Zeraa, and he was unsure how to keep them in check. It had all come so soon, so suddenly, that he barely had time to absorb the information as it was lobbed at him from all directions. 

He had come from a background devoid of love and trust, filled with relationships with people who were only interested in using him for their own gain. How could a person with no positive relationships hope to form one now, when he had endured so many years living with no semblance of love or concern? Or how could he even hope to accept love from someone like Zeraa, who asked for nothing more in return?

“I am uncertain if I know what that kind of feeling is,” he began. “I have never experienced it before.”

Ahsoka sighed. “No one is ever prepared for it. It’s just something you learn.”

They stood in a contemplative silence for a few minutes, staring at each other, feeling too tired and frustrated to keep up the rest of their argument. The past day had seemed so infinitely long that their motivation for the argument had been extinguished. The only thing that remained now was the dissipating tension. At least they had gotten to the point where they had gotten their initial, irrational feelings out into the open. It was helpful for them both to understand each other’s mental states--which, at the moment, were both extremely fraught.

Now that Ahsoka’s mind had partially settled, she began to be aware of the temperature in the room. She had forgotten how chilly nights on Naboo could get. After living in the temperate climate of Radaa for years, she had seldom experienced anything colder than a late summer breeze. And even though the weather in Theed had been balmy during the day, temperatures tended to drop at night. The paper thin hospital gown did little to warm her.

Maul noticed even before she did. “You’re shivering,” he noted. 

“It’s a little cool right now,” she admitted. “I forgot how cold it gets on Naboo sometimes.”

Maul sighed. “Come, you need something to wear,” he said. He walked across the room to the large wooden wardrobe, where he had instructed Zeepio to place his belongings earlier. Ahsoka followed him, rubbing her arms together. 

Maul opened the closet to reveal a small variety of clothes--shirts, tunics, pants, jackets. All tailored in that simple, flowing style Maul preferred. And all in black, which Ahsoka completely expected. “None of these will be to your taste,” he said, stepping aside. 

Ahsoka shook her head. “That’s the last thing on my mind right now,” she admitted. “It’ll be nice to just put on some actual clothes.”

“Pick something out,” Maul said, stepping back. “Zeraa has already mutilated one of my training shirts,” he continued, his thoughts flickering back to the cut-up shirt that the child had gone to bed in.

Ahsoka allowed herself a small smile as she looked into the wardrobe. “Is that what she was wearing to bed?” she asked. “I thought maybe it was something of yours. She’s the type of kid who would pick out bright colors to wear.”

“I suppose that she takes more after you in that regard,” Maul said. He watched her quietly as she rifled through the wardrobe. Still not a sight he ever thought to see again in his lifetime, but he wasn’t about to complain now.

It didn’t take long for Ahsoka to locate a warm-looking tunic, of which Maul had plenty. “This one will be fine,” she said, running her hands over the infinitely soft fabric. This tunic also had some finely crafted details, with an intricate trim at the collar and cuffs, as well as shiny stone buttons. “It seems a little more ornate than the ones you usually wear, though...”

“That was a gift from an associate,” Maul answered. His mind flickered back to Dryden Vos, who had made the mistake of listening to Qi’ra when it came to selecting pointless, duty-bound gifts. He hadn’t even remembered why he had packed it to begin with. “Not exactly to my liking. Go ahead and wear it.”

Ahsoka looked over her shoulder. “Do you mind turning around?” It seemed absurd now; Maul was the very person she had been fantasizing about for the past few years, yet the thought of him seeing her naked now was too nerve-wracking for her to come to terms with. 

Maul obliged her, turning away as Ahsoka untied the gown, letting it fall to the floor. She grabbed the tunic and slipped it over her head. It was too large on her, but she was grateful for anything else to wear after the thin material of the hospital gown. The tunic felt warm and soft against her body, but she could see why Maul didn’t prefer it; it was a little too soft, too smooth. If she knew anything Maul it was that he liked roughness--and not just when it came to fabric, either.

Maul was getting slightly agitated at this point. Although he was trying not to show it, the thought of Ahsoka unclothed behind him was distracting. He remembered when they had first spent some time together on Bogano; once, he had wondered where else she had white markings on her body. But now he knew; they were on her upper thighs and hips, just below the navel. He had memorized those patterns, and now he was so close to seeing them again...

But he had to keep himself in check. He wasn’t even thinking of Ahsoka’s feelings at the moment, only of his own ruined pride. “Are you done yet? Can I turn around now?” he asked resignedly.

Ahsoka sensed the agitation. Given all that had occurred earlier, she was surprised he had even obliged her to begin with. “Yes,” she said, gathering up the discarded gown from the floor. “Thanks.”

Maul turned around. Ahsoka was clad in the oversized tunic, rolling the sleeves up to accommodate her arms. He had to admit--it was pleasant seeing her wearing something of his. The informality of all of it caught him off guard. 

Despite everything, Ahsoka found herself suppressing a smile. At this rate, she found herself feeling like a young girl who needed to borrow her boyfriend’s clothes after staying out all night. Not that she would ever know how any of that felt to begin with. “What are you staring at?”

“Just an image I never thought I’d see again,” he admitted. “Having you in front of me is...distracting.”

“Stop trying to flatter me,” Ahsoka whispered. “But you’re not looking so bad yourself...I guess.”

“Not so bad?” Maul echoed, feigning insult. But by the expression on his face, it was easy to see that Maul was not wounded by this at all. 

Maul did seem slightly different, but it wasn’t so much in the way he looked. No, he still looked much like Ahsoka remembered him during the Clone Wars; muscular in that particular sinewy way of his, the same yellow eyes and high cheekbones. But he carried himself in a manner that was more self-assured than last she had seen him. Perhaps it was because he had been leading the syndicate for a few years at this point; being in a prolonged position of leadership seemed to have emboldened him. But his maturity also seemed to come from the fact that he now had a few years to come to terms with the losses he had endured; they were not so fresh in his mind anymore. Rather they had now become a part of him, memories that he would always carry within. 

Ahsoka couldn’t help but notice that he was still fond of those jackets that fell open towards the neck, giving off a hint of the tattoos on his chest underneath. Tattoos that she had traced with her fingers once, up towards his collarbone, over his neck…

“I suppose you’re feeling well enough to continue,” Maul began. “It was not my intent to antagonize you.”

Ahsoka nodded, accepting the apology. He  _ had _ antagonized her, but she had to try to understand his own point of view. A relationship between them had been something he had so badly desired, and when she had deprived him of it--and  _ his _ child, to add insult--it had been a rough transition. “There’s a lot you need to know.”

Maul had been hoping she would say this, and was glad to oblige. “Alright,” he said simply. 

“Can we sit, though?” she asked. “I’m still a little tired after earlier…” Ahsoka looked around, spying the bed in the back of the room. “The bed is fine. Just don’t get any ideas, alright?”

“I should be the one telling you that,” Maul answered, but it was hard to deny the fact that the magnetism that had drawn them together in the first place, six years prior, was starting to manifest itself again. Still, this wasn’t the right time for such immature feelings. There were questions he was dying to know the answer to, even though he had held himself patient for as long as he could. 

They went over to the bed, and Ahsoka sat down with a sigh. “The beds here are so soft,” she said as Maul sat down across from her. “I’ve forgotten how that feels. Beds on Raada aren’t this comfortable.” 

“Perhaps that’s why the child fell asleep so quickly,” Maul said, assuming a familiar stance in front of her; sitting cross-legged, back straight. It had been the same way he sat on Zeraa’s bed just a few moments before.

Ahsoka shook her head. “No, she fell asleep because she felt safe,” she said softly. In truth, Zeraa had only slept in one place her entire life; in her little room in the farmhouse Ahsoka lived in, on the outskirts of the agricultural settlement. Whatever Maul had said, or done, had somehow calmed Zeraa so much that she had been able to fall asleep in an unfamiliar place.

They sat in silence for a minute, just absorbing the atmosphere, trying to make sense of the sheet improbability of everything that had happened to them in the past day. 

“Where do you want me to begin?” she asked slowly. 

Maul tilted his head. “Wherever you feel the beginning might be.”

Ahsoka nodded. She felt she could only begin with the last time they had seen each other, that last day she had spent on Bogano. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the cold gusts of air as she had waded out into the sea of tall grasses, heading towards the cargo ship that was hovering in the distance. 

“After we...” She trailed off. She had wanted to say  _ parted _ , but looking at Maul’s face, she had to do away with these euphemisms. If they wanted to get over the past, they would need to re-experience it, however painful it would feel. 

“After I left you,” she began again. “The ship that picked me up headed to Nal Hutta. I stayed there and laid low for a few weeks. But I didn’t want to stay in one place for too long. I heard that it was easy to find lodgings and be anonymous on Nar Shaddaa. So I decided to take a shuttle there, to stay for a bit until I figured out what I wanted to do.” Her voice dropped a little at this. “I had been living there for about a month when I started having symptoms.”

Maul nodded. “But during that time--you encountered nothing out of the ordinary? Or suspicious, in any way?” He did not know exactly why he was asking this, but they needed to rule out all possibilities if they were going to figure out how exactly Zeraa came about.

Ahsoka shook her head. “Nothing. Everything seemed---normal, I guess.” As normal as things could have been, given the circumstances. “I found a little apartment that I could pay for, week by week. I didn’t speak to anyone I didn’t need to. I only really went out to get food.” At that point, when she had been living on Nar Shaddaa for a few weeks, things had been downright boring. Coming from a life of fighting Separatists, running from Sith, and wading through Senate intrigue over the past few years, suddenly having nothing to do had been something of a shock. But she had not been foolish about her situation. She was on the Empire’s wanted list as a Jedi, and she would not pretend that she could go about her business as usual. 

“I see. Continue.” Maul’s eyes were rapt with attention. This had always been something she loved about him; when she spoke, he listened as if she were the only thing in the galaxy.

“I started getting sick. I couldn’t keep any food down. I thought that maybe it was just food poisoning or a fever.” Ahsoka found herself telling him more than she needed to, even though he knew where this was all leading to. Perhaps it was because these were anecdotes she had never discussed with anyone. “I decided to go to a medic in the underground. She did an ultrasound and...that’s when I found out about Zeraa.” 

Maul was silent at this. The concept of parenthood was still so unfamiliar to him that he could not even imagine the position she had been in. Alone, young, with a bounty on her head...and pregnant.

Ahsoka was suddenly struck with a memory of the ultrasound image, the two tiny beating hearts that flickered against the screen. She sighed. “I wanted to get a termination,” she told him. “It would have been the most logical thing to do. I didn’t think I would be good mother material.” She brought her eyes up to his. “You were the only person I had sex with. I know that you were her father. And…” her voice trailed again. “I  _ did _ think about trying to contact you. But I just didn’t know how you would react.”

Maul could not help but interrupt at this. “I would have accepted you,” he said angrily. “I could have helped you, no matter what your decision had been.”

Ahsoka was silent for a moment. Her reasons beyond contacting Maul went beyond being wary of his reactions. She would not let herself get caught up in the web of Crimson Dawn, in the life of criminal activity he was building around himself. “I don’t know if it was the wrong step to take, but it was the one I made. And I won’t try to second guess myself now.”

Maul was displeased, and let his anger show freely. “What was done, is done,” he said, scowling. There would be time for him to process how much this had hurt him, but for now he needed Ahsoka to continue. “You obviously decided to go through with the pregnancy.”

“Yes.” She looked up at him. This part was difficult for her to follow through with. “I think...my reasons for it were selfish,” she admitted. “Everything had been taken from me then. My friends, my order, my title.” She hung her head. “I didn’t have anyone or anything that truly belonged to me. Maybe I felt like I had nothing to show for the years of work I put into my life. Nothing to really live for.”

Maul took this in with a tightness in his chest.  _ You could have lived for me _ , was what he wanted to say. But he knew that this was not the time for argument. It was a time for Ahsoka to talk freely.

Maybe it was the combination of everything that had happened in the entire day. Ahsoka felt that she managed to hold it together so far, but just thinking about those tense, difficult months alone on Nar Shaddaa was causing her to lose control of her emotions.

“It’s just that I’ve never told anyone this story,” she continued. “I never had a chance to.” 

“You may tell me the story,” Maul said. He was still unused to this voice of encouragement. It came out more like a command than anything, and he sighed, trying to will himself to patience. “If you wish to,” he added, trying to soften it.

Ahsoka knew that he had been aiming to motivate her, and forgave him for sounding so rough around the edges. “It’s...still a bit hard for me to talk about it.”

Maul tilted his head. They were both Force adepts--there were other ways to communicate if one didn’t feel like speaking. “If you don’t wish to talk, you can show me.”

“You mean...through a Force bond?” Ahsoka said, frowning. This had been something they had tried before, successfully; in the weeks they had spent together, when they had been experimenting with each other--mentally as well as physically.

“Would this be something you are uncomfortable with?”

She shook her head. “No…” she admitted. She remembered the Force bond they had developed so briefly, all those years ago. She had been surprised it had worked then--she would be even more surprised if it worked now. “But once a Force bond is broken, it can’t be restored.”

“I was under the impression that only Sith dealt in absolutes,” Maul said quietly, in self-deprecation. “You are a Jedi. I find it uncharacteristic for you to give up without even trying.”

Ahsoka never really thought she would ever hear Maul encouraging her like this, but she was thankful to hear it all the same. “Well. I guess if even  _ you _ think we could do it…”

Ahsoka extended her hand out to him then, just as Zeraa had done only an hour before. This time Maul did not hesitate; he automatically reached for her hand, grasping it tightly. 

They both had a slight reaction from the touch of their hands. They had already touched each other, earlier in the day. Maul had carried her out of the hospital, and again when they had arrived at the mansion. But that hadn’t been intentional; he had touched her out of necessity. But this was the first time since their reunion that they now willingly touched each other. 

Ahsoka could feel the desire, the need, in his grip. It was not only a physical desire, but seemed to be all-encompassing; in that one brief moment, she could feel the loneliness, the longing, the regret that had slowly been building inside him for the past few years.

“Your emotions…” she began. “That’s something inside you that hasn’t changed.”

“I was raised as a Sith. Emotions are all we have.” Maul answered. He was not trying to shield these feelings from her; it was not possible. “I don’t mean to overwhelm you.”

“You aren’t.” Ahsoka was trying to keep her own feelings in check, but found it increasingly difficult to hold back. “I’m just trying not to get distracted.”

“Am I that captivating?” he asked playfully. 

She gave him a small push on the shoulder with her free hand. “At this rate, we’ll never get to it,” she said. “Come on. Let’s try to concentrate.”

It took a few minutes to align themselves in the Force. Being from the opposite backgrounds of Force adepts--a Jedi and a Sith--their signatures would always start out on different planes of feeling. Ahsoka’s signature was light,  _ Ashla _ , as Maul’s was dark,  _ Bogan _ . They need to reorient their signatures, to meet each other where they were. This was not a small feat for either of them--it meant that Ahsoka needed to position her signature towards the Dark side, which went against everything she had been striving towards in her life. Likewise, Maul had to reorient himself to the Light side, which usually repulsed him.

They sat there for so long that the black sky outside the window had begun to give way to a lighter shade of grey. Entering a Force bond was not a task that had a timeline; it was not something they could predict. They could only work at it, little by little, until they found themselves in a harmonious place in the Force, able to feel each other without much effort or difficulty.

And then they both needed to reach. Reach into each other’s signature, striving to commune together, trying to enmesh their souls. It was never a precise art; there would always be missteps, or wrong directions. But soon they found that they reached the place of balance,  _ Bendu _ , that their Force bond had produced in the past.

Maul opened his eyes momentarily. “It seems peculiar…” he whispered. “This connection...it feels like…”

“Like Zeraa’s signature,” Ahsoka confirmed. But she was also surprised at this. She had grown so used to the child’s signature over the past few years that she had never connected it to anything she had felt before. But no--now that the Force bond had been reestablished, Maul’s suggestion was correct. This blending of their signatures had the same sensation, the same aura, as that of their child.

Maul had noticed earlier that the child’s signature had a strange familiarity around it; he should have known that a child born of a Jedi and a Sith would have the type of Balanced signature that was so rare to Force adepts. “A confirmation that she is both of ours,” he said slowly. 

Neither of them had noticed that their hands were entwined now, fingers layered together, gently squeezing. Ahsoka looked up at him. It had been so long since she had done this that the feeling would be strange, at first. “Are you ready?” she asked.

Maul nodded. “Show me.”

Ahsoka nodded, and they both closed their eyes again. Now that the bond was firmly in place, this next part would not be so hard. She spun her mind back in time, bringing up memories from the past, and this time she took Maul with her. 

-

**The past - 18 BBY. Apartment, Corellian Sector, Nar Shaadaa.**

In those first few weeks since Ahsoka had found out she was pregnant, she still had yet to come to terms with it. Every day she would wake up in the room she rented, turning over in the thin cot that she had pushed up to the heat generator, and wonder if it had all been a dream. But as the months wore on and she felt her stomach begin to grow, the reality of the situation began to slowly dawn on her. It came to a point where she could not just pretend that she was just fine, or that her situation would just go away.

It did not help that she had virtually no contact with anyone from the outside world. She had been able to rent the apartment from a somewhat shady Besalisk landlord, but she had only needed to meet with him once. Every week she would deposit her credit chips into a slot near the front of the building, and no one asked any questions. She would wander over to the market to purchase groceries, cooking them in the small holo-stove in her room. These were her only brief moments of contacts with other people, and she made sure not to frequent the same establishments too many times. She had no one to talk to, no one to give her advice. 

Her Jedi learning did little to help in this situation. She had the datapad that the medic had given her, but a cursory glance proved that the content was mostly geared towards human pregnancy and babies. Although Togrutas were humanoids, their biology was still different enough that human medical advice would not be applicable in every situation. Searching around on Holonet had uncovered resources more specific to Togruta pregnancies, which turned out to be helpful. But searching for anything more specific only brought up more unanswerable questions.

One day, she had begun research into the type of complications Togruta women experienced when they were pregnant with hybrids. Ahsoka had met only a handful of half-Togruta people in her lifetime, leading her to believe that it was not a common occurrence. The half-Togrutas she met had been mostly half-Twi-Lek or half-human; but surely there had to be some information on Togruta-Zabrak babies.

Grabbing her personal datapad, she logged into Holonet and typed into the query bar at the top of the screen.

search_>[ togruta zabrak hybrid ]

There was less than a page of search results, which was unusual. Usually a search yielded thousands of results, no matter how obscure the topic might be. The first article caught her eye right away. It was a copy of a research study that had been published in a medical journal. The headline was vague yet promising.

_ Togruta-Zabrak Hybrids: Anecdotal Research _

She clicked on the article, reading over the summary.

_ Although mating and marriage between Togrutas and Zabraks is uncommon, it is certainly not unheard of. Usually, these pairings occur on core worlds, where individuals of these two species can meet and interact. Over the course of five years, the Coruscant Medical Academy has performed several studies on the viability of a hybrid child between a Togruta and a Zabrak. Several examinations were carried out on these pairings, which consisted of 1) Togruta female and Zabrak male, or 2) Togruta male and Zabrak female. We tested a total of 50 couples. _

_ In every recorded case of a Togruta/Zabrak union, studies have shown that the female is unable to get pregnant. It is generally accepted that 1) a Togruta female’s body is inhospitable to Zabrak sperm cells, and 2) a Zabrak female’s body is inhospitable to Togruta sperm cells. Therefore, we can conclude that although Zabraks and Togrutas are able to enjoy sexual relationships with each other, they are unable to produce biological children. _

Ahsoka nearly dropped the datapad in a surge of confusion. Not only could Maul not have gotten her pregnant; now she was learning that Togrutas and Zabraks were not even able to produce children at all. 

In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to head back to the clinic in the underground, to ask for the termination. She was too afraid of what was growing inside her. If there was no precedent for a hybrid to begin with, who could say whether the child would even survive? Or whether Ahsoka herself would survive? Or worse--if it wasn’t actually a child at all? She had heard stories of parasites whose symptoms resembled pregnancy. It sounded outlandish, but she needed to remind herself--her entire situation was outlandish. 

She had known that termination would have been the merciful choice. There were too many unknowns concerning how it happened and the viability of the fetus in the first place. Even if the child was somehow normal, she would be bringing them into a galaxy of fear and confusion, of war and betrayal. It seemed wrong to deliver this child into a life with Ahsoka as their only support; she did not feel like she was fit to be a mother. Nor had she ever imagined that she would be a mother in the first place.

Every day after she had found the article, she would tell herself that the next day would be the one where she would go to the clinic to seek the termination. But every day, she would wake up and leave it for the next day.  _ Just one more day _ , she would tell herself. _ I’ll go tomorrow. _

_ - _

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo.**

Ahsoka breathed in and out as she eased herself out of the memory.

Maul was quiet for a minute. It had been so long since he had forged a Force bond with anyone that it shocked him to have seen memories with such emotion and clarity. He had been able to feel Ahsoka’s sentiments so thoroughly that it almost seemed like his own memory. 

“I was not aware that Togrutas and Zabraks could not produce children,” he said quietly. It had truthfully not been a topic he had ever thought about. “Even if I had been able to produce viable seed, your body would have rejected it.”

“You can just add that to the list of reasons that Zeraa shouldn’t exist,” Ahsoka admitted.

“We will need to do more research into that, I suppose.” Truth be told; Maul was not nearly as disturbed by this as he thought he would be. He supposed it had been because he should have never been able to father the child in the first place. 

But he was more interested in how Ahsoka had been feeling. “You chose to keep the child even though there was no precedent for its existence,” he said slowly. “It is hard for me to imagine why one would take on this difficulty. What made you want to carry through with it?”

Ahsoka sat back. “I’m getting to that,” she protested. “If you’ll let me finish.”

They didn’t need to hold hands anymore; now that the Force bond was reestablished, they could virtually communicate from anywhere. But now, Maul reached for Ahsoka’s hands once again. She offered them freely, grasping his tattooed fingers. She could not help smile as they let their hands rest between them, against their crossed legs.

Maul was going to have to tell Zeraa that he didn’t mind holding hands, after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow alright! Finally, we’re going back in time again to see exactly what happened with Ahsoka when she found out that she was pregnant. Hopefully hopping back and forth between flashbacks isn’t confusing for anyone!
> 
> So now we have three timelines:  
> 13 BBY (the present)  
> 19-18 BBY (Ahsoka by herself on Nar Shaddaa)  
> 19 BBY (Maul and Ahsoka on Bogano)
> 
> I really wanted to get back into Ahsoka’s mindset when she was dealing with her pregnancy, since the last time I did so was way back in Chapter 1! Now I’m hoping I got her characterization right. There are a lot of different ways to characterize Ahsoka, IMO, but for this part of the fic I kind of wanted to explore a specific mindset: coping with getting pregnant at a young age. Ahsoka here is sort of like—she’s confident in her fighting abilities and has physically and mentally been a lot. But parenthood is another sort of experience entirely. I’m hoping to get more into it in later chapters as well, but yeah—that was my challenge this time around.
> 
> As well as making it clear that Maul and Ahsoka are still weak for each other, as always.
> 
> Also this part of the fic was only supposed to be 5 pages and it turned into 11. Sloooow burn. 
> 
> I love receiving comments and constructive criticism about Maul, Ahsoka, Maulsoka, and anything Star Wars related!! Please feel free to leave any you have.


	10. The Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qi'ra and Dryden come to an agreement about who they could hire to complete Maul's assignment.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Aboard the First Light - personal yacht of Dryden Vos**

Qi’ra sat across from Dryden’s desk, data pad in hand, deep in thought. Maul had asked for an extremely rare commodity. A slicer who was good enough to hack into the Imperial Registry would be hard to come by; most slicers would never even think of trying to get into those databases. One small mistake and the Empire would be able to trace their Holonet Protocol address to their terminal. And the Empire’s wrath was swift and simple--they would send their nearest detachment to apprehend the slicer right away. And that would simply be the end of it.

Many of the competent slicers who had previously worked for Crimson Dawn had suffered such a fate, which was why Qi'ra could not think of many choices. Although she had become acquainted with a handful of slicers during her tenure with Dryden, they had all, in some way or another, been caught. Whether it had been by the Empire, a rival crime syndicate, or any other group they had been trying to infiltrate. But the Imperial Registry remained the most dangerous by far. No matter how good the slicer was, as soon they tried to access anything in the IR, they had been as good as dead. Now all that were left were aspirational amateurs, still learning how to properly mask their HP addresses. They could hack into low-level operations and money-laundering fronts, but that was about it.

Maul knew that there was currently a shortage of talented slicers. But he would still be incredibly displeased if they turned up empty-handed, or worse--with a subpar candidate. Although Maul had other bosses under his thumb, Dryden was highest on the hierarchy. It would look embarrassing if Maul’s top boss was unable to produce even one suggestion.

It was also well known that Maul was not known for his patient and even temper. Even though Qi'ra had never been in Maul’s physical presence, she had heard enough stories from the servants and agents in Crimson Dawn to know about Maul’s proclivities. Employees who displeased him--or worse, failed him--often found themselves flung across the room, thrown down, or choked. Qi'ra did not intend to let that happen to her; unless it happened with her authorization, of course. 

Her mind wandered for just a second--a man who instigated that type of violence must have an appetite for sexual aggression. And not just the insipid, light bondage that Dryden liked to dabble in, either…

Dryden cleared his throat. He had been sitting at his terminal, scrolling through his own database. But it hadn’t seemed like he had found anyone in particular. “Well?” he asked impatiently. “Most of the slicers we used to employ have been executed.” 

Qi'ra sighed and lay the datapad down in her lap. The truth was that she had only had one suggestion for Dryden this whole time. She had merely been measuring how worth it the risk would be. “I think I know just the person,” she said confidently. 

“And who would that be?” Dryden asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

“He’s not your favorite person, to be sure...” Qi'ra needed to be delicate in these suggestions. She needed to wheedle Dryden in just the right way so that he would agree to her whims. 

But Dryden seemed to catch her drift right away. “Now, my darling. I hope you’re not thinking of that rogue Calrissian again,” he said, clearly displeased. 

Perhaps she did not give Dryden enough credit. “He owns a droid that has superior self- programming,” Qi'ra protested, thinking back to the times she had spent with Lando in the past. “I have seen her abilities firsthand. I am sure that this droid would be able to hack into the IR without being discovered.”

“Qi'ra, I’m afraid he is simply out of the question.” She knew the real reason that Dryden was cross at this suggestion, but decided to press on anyway.

“My lord,” she said, careful to put on that reassuring voice again. “I know you’re still quite upset with him for that mistake on Felucia, but I am personally uncertain that we will be able to find any other slicer--droid or organic--with such abilities at this time.” Dryden had said it himself--their previous employees were dead. 

Dryden scowled. He hated being reminded of failures, and Lando’s stunt on Felucia had enraged him to no end a few months ago. He shook his head, leaning forwards on his desk. “I don’t know why I ask your opinions sometimes,” he said, his voice barely audible. “It’s clear that your faculties are limited when it comes to assessing situations like these.”

Although this made Qi'ra seethe within, she held her ground, standing before him with a confident posture. If Dryden thought that he could hurt her with only words, he was dead wrong. She had withstood so much more, physically and mentally, than he ever had. Besides--it was clear they had no other choices. Any other candidate would not have possessed the skills necessary to complete the assignment.

Dryden sighed. “I do not like your suggestion, but as it stands...all our talented slicers have been eviscerated.” He sighed. “You’re confident the droid can do it?”

“One hundred percent.” It had actually been more like sixty percent, but this was just a gamble she was going to have to take.

Dryden sighed. “I suppose we have no choice, then. I am prepared to listen to reason.” He stood up from the desk. “Call up him and give him the details on the job.” Dryden’s personal commlink began to beep at that moment. He looked down at it with a furtive glance. “I’ll take this call privately,” he said, pressing the hold button on the commlink.

Qi'ra stopped herself from raising her eyebrow. Dryden did not usually worry about taking any of his callsl in front of her. This had to be something that even she had not been made privy to. Although she would find out, eventually. She had made it her business to know all of Dryden’s business.

Dryden rose from his seat. “But I warn you, darling...if you decide to get overly familiar with Calrissian on this mission, you will not be very happy with the consequences.” It was also clear that, besides the Felucia incident, there had been other occurrences that Dryden was not happy about.

“Oh my lord,” Qi'ra said swiftly, putting offense into her words. “Please do not believe for a minute that I am loyal to anyone other than you. I know my place in this galaxy. You must know that you’re the only man I pledge my loyalty to.” Dryden liked hearing phrases that put him in control. “Whatever happened between him and I was only done for the sake of intelligence and information-gathering.”

“You certainly are _good_ at these reassurances, my dear,” Dryden said, and Qi'ra wondered for one second if he was finally seeing past the veneer of obedience she had placed between them.

He sighed as he crossed over from behind his desk. “Sometimes I think I don’t have anyone else to trust,” he confessed. “The other women who I’ve had as companions--how utterly disappointing they all turned out to be. Betraying me, not listening to my instructions, desperate for their independence.” he came up to her now, putting his hands on her waist. “I’m so glad to have finally found a woman who appreciates my intellect. You’re always there for me when I need you.”

Qi'ra let him touch her, although inwardly she recoiled. She could tell when Dryden was lying, and this time he seemed completely honest in his estimation of her. _Foolish and weak-minded_. “You can rely on me, my lord,” she affirmed, even though she was only waiting for the right time to strike.

She put her hands against his chest and leaned up, giving him a dutiful kiss on the lips. “Let me take care of the details. I’m sure you have other matters to attend to.”

Dryden nodded, giving her a short smile before he turned to exit the room.

Qi'ra sighed before she sat down at the desk, thankful that the interaction with Dryden had been somewhat brief. She opened up the console and logged into her personal profile. The best way to get in contact with Lando had always been through a holo-call. He was bad at checking his text messages, which she had learned the last time they had tried to arrange a secret rendezvous. She navigated to the syndicate’s database and quickly brought up the correct profile. 

As she had expected, Lando had gained several pseudonyms as he went about his business through the galaxy.Tamtel Skreej, Rox Floren, and Balthazar Cal were just a few of them. Not to mention that he had over twenty personal frequency numbers, leaving it impossible for anyone without a certain knowledge to knowingly get in contact with him. Qi’ra navigated to the one he had told her to call--although she had not memorized it fully, she did remember that the number sequence ended in triple sevens.

There was a large holoprojector built into Dryden’s desk. She activated it and started tuning the communication sensors to the personal frequency indicated.

For the next few minutes, nothing appeared in the holoproj’s range. This was to be expected; she was reaching out across the galaxy to wherever Lando was, at the moment. She had no idea how long it would take, but prayed that the call would go through. After all--there were no back-up plans this time. And if she couldn’t get in touch with him, she and Dryden would have nothing to present to Maul. 

But her patience was soon rewarded as she heard the familiar static noises of connection before the transmission evened out. The holoproj flickered on, casting a neon blue shadow against the darkened office wall. The sound clicked on before the image did, and she could now hear the low sound of women giggling close to the speaker on the other end. Qi'ra rolled her eyes. _At it again?_

Finally the hologram shimmered to life in front of her. “Qi'ra,” he said, smooth as silk. 

“Lando.”

The man before her tilted his head. Lando was looking just a little bit disheveled, which would have been unusual for someone with such particular taste. But Qi’ra knew well enough that Lando was down to get messy when the prize was physical--which was clearly what he had been up to. “To what do I owe this honor, my lady?” His eyes roved over her outfit. “Did you wake up in the middle of the night and get dressed up just for me?”

Now it was Qi'ra’s turn to laugh. “I wish!” she exclaimed. “I’m not bothering you, am I?”

“Hm,” Lando hummed. “I think I have a few minutes to spare.” He looked to his right, beyond the view of the holoproj’s range. “Brea, Senni, would you mind if I took this call? There’s icewine in the sitting room. Please help yourselves.”

The conquests must have obliged, as Lando returned his gaze to Qi’ra’s in the next second. “So what’s going on?” he asked conversationally. “I know you’re not the type to call me for some idle chit-chat.”

“I have an interesting proposition for you.”

“Yeah?” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “Let me guess! You want me to wine and dine you on Canto Bight? Or how about staying warm by the fire in a cozy ski lodge on Alderaan?” 

Lando was an infinite tease and always had a variety of suggestions for dates. At any other time she would have loved to oblige, but she did need to get to the point. “I have a job for you.”

“Yeah? What, where, who? Gimme the details.” 

“Well...it’s technically a job for you _and_ Elthree. Is she there with you, at the moment?” 

“Elthree?!” Qi'ra could just tell from his tone that this was the last person Lando thought she would be asking for. L3-37, Lando’s personal droid, was not exactly a droid that most people found palatable. And although she had been brusque and rude when Qi’ra had first met her, she had managed to win Elthree over by giving her space when she needed it, and responding to her quips when she decided to talk.

“She’s around here somewhere.” He glanced around. “Meaning that she’s probably hanging out in the lobby of this hotel, chatting up the service droids.” Elthree usually did not hang around while Lando was off chasing his romantic pursuits. “But Qi’ra, love...what’s going on? You need Elthree’s skills for something?”

“Yes. We need a slicer who can hack into the Imperial Registry. I’m not sure exactly why, but I would guess that it has to do with erasing some important records.”

“Hm,” Lando said, considering this for a moment. “I mean...Elthree hacks into the IR pretty regularly. She just likes to go in and mess with the algorithms for fun. But that’s a long way from an actual assignment where she would need to erase records.” 

“But she can get in and out without being detected. Right?”

“Right, but…” Lando trailed off. “Who’s this job for, anyway?”

“This is a job for the head of Crimson Dawn.”

“What, your man Dryden?” Lando whistled in annoyance. “Now you know he’s had it in for me ever since he found out about that bullshit on Felucia.”

“ _Not_ Dryden,” Qi'ra replied emphatically. “It’s a job for someone higher up on the ladder. The true leader of Crimson Dawn.”

Lando raised an eyebrow. “Now wait a minute. Is this that scary guy you were telling me about? The creepy one with the black robes and the tattoos?”

Qi'ra sighed. “Yes. Him.” She had never actually seen Maul’s face--not even the outline. She only knew that he always appeared in black robes, usually sitting down. Sometimes he would wear a tunic that was open at the chest, exposing red skin and black, patterned tattoos down to his waist. The Crimson Dawn pendant hung around his neck, gleaming against naked skin. Just that little sliver of skin had piqued Q’ira’s interest in him. Most of the other crime lords were dressed modestly, in dark suits that covered them head to toe. But Maul was not opposed to showing skin every now and then, and it surprised her.

Qi'ra quickly brought her mind back to the conversation. “Maul needs a slicer to hack into the Imperial Registry. And since that seems to be something that Elthree does just for fun, naturally I thought…”

“Now hold on a minute,” Lando huffed. “Two things come to mind when I think about this, love. First: Elthree hacking into the IR just to mess with the Imps is a far cry from erasing records. Two: you know how rude Elthree can get. Doesn’t this guy have a short fuse? The last thing I need is for Elthree to give him some lip, cause then we’d all be going to hell.”

“Lando, dear, to address your concerns. First: I think Maul needs a splicer immediately. His message seemed urgent, and I’m sure he’s prepared to pay you a lot of money.” Qi’ra smiled. “Second: we all know that Elthree has a special way with words. But perhaps all she needs is a woman-to-woman chat. I can give her a quick briefing introducing the both of you to Maul. I’m sure she isn’t going to let us down.”

Lando let out a long sigh. “Your arguments are compelling, my darling. But it still sounds risky as hell.”

Qi'ra knew that she had to switch to another angle for this to work. “What if I told you that, in exchange for helping us with this job...I’ll talk to Dryden about the Felucia incident? And convince him to forgive you out of the kindness of his heart?”

“You can do that?”

“I can, now,” Qi'ra answered. “We’re in a tight spot. He can put it aside if he thinks this will put him in a better position with Maul.”

“Why are you so interested in this, anyway? What do you get out of it?”

Qi'ra smiled secretively. “If this all goes through, you will tell Maul that I was the one who recommended you...right?”

A smirk appeared on Lando’s face. “Gunning for Dryden’s job, huh?” 

“Let’s just say I want to put myself in a favorable position as well,” Qi'ra replied. “So are you in?”

Lando sighed. “Fine, fine,” he agreed. “But you’re gonna square it away with Dryden? If I pull this job, he’ll forget about Felucia?”

“I will. I promise.”

“Then I’m in,” Lando said. “Where we headed?”

“Maul is currently on Naboo. Theed City.”

“Huh, Theed? Looks like the big boss is a classy guy.”

“Or so he wants us all to think,” Qi’ra said. She would not divulge that she knew Maul spent most of his time on that godforsaken planet Dathomir. “We’ll need you to come at once.”

Lando looked crestfallen. “I guess that means I’ll have to cut short my time with the lovely Tonnika sisters.” He gave her a look. “But if that means getting to spend some time with you, love, it’s a far better trade.”

Qi'ra smiled, a genuine one this time. “You know my heart aches for you day after day, Lando, darling,” she said sarcastically. Maybe they would have some time to fool around. Or maybe they wouldn’t. “Once you get to Theed, wait for the First Light to arrive. I’ll contact you once we’ve landed.”

“Gotcha. So I’ll be seeing you in a few hours, babe?”

“You bet.” Qi’ra winked at him.

“Can’t wait.” Lando’s winning smile flickered slightly as the transmission faded, leaving behind a ghostly static glow.

Qi'ra sat back in the chair, somewhat pleased with herself. She fished out her commlink from the folds of her robe and activated it. 

Dryden took about a few minutes to answer, which was unusual of him. He usually responded to her calls right away. “Yes?” he finally said, his voice crackling. “Have you taken care of everything?”

“Yes, my lord. Calrissian and his droid will be on his way to Naboo shortly.”

“Alright,” Dryden replied shortly. “Let’s hope that Lord Maul has not already made his selection.” She could tell that Dryden was still wary of this arrangement, but that he was somewhat relieved they had been able to locate a slicer who would--hopefully--be able to carry out the assignment.

“I will inform the bridge to set course for Naboo immediately,” Qi'ra told him. “Would you like me to inform Lord Maul as well?” Never mind that she had never talked to Maul directly in the first place--she figured she would at least ask. 

“Yes, do that,” Dryden said impatiently. He was definitely distracted by something, although Qi'ra still could not tell what it was. “And when you’re done with that, come to my room, darling. It’s been a long night. I’m sure we could all use a little relaxation, don’t you think?”

Qi’ra sighed. She thought she was going to avoid having to fuck Dryden tonight, but apparently not. “Yes, my lord.” 

She put the commlink down on the desk. Now it was time to contact Maul to let him know about their decision. Dryden would usually call Maul by using the Crimson Dawn insignia ring that he wore at all times; there was a console on the desk that activated once the ring was pressed into it. Qi'ra did not have the ring with her, so she input Dryden’s passcode into the terminal. The passcode would trigger a call to Maul’s personal frequency immediately.

Qi’ra made sure to arrange herself carefully. She could not let herself look too eager, too seductive. Maul was no fool. Qi’ra was sure that he had plenty of sexual options available to him as the head of the largest crime syndicate in the galaxy. On her own, Qi'ra knew that she was not enough to be enticing to him. So she would have to take this slowly--she would need to learn more about him first, learn about the things he liked before she could start to draw up any plans. In truth, Qi’ra was unsure whether this particular seduction would be one that she could pull off. But no one could blame a girl for trying. 

She pushed the button to place the call, and waited for the transmission to go through.

-

**Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo.**

The portable holoprojector on the table began to emit a low beeping noise.

Although Ahsoka had a split second response time, she could not anticipate how quickly Maul let go of her hand to rise from the bed. He instantly stepped over to the low table by the bedside, where Zeepio had arranged his personal holoproj earlier in the day. The code number on the side of the device indicated that the call was originating from the First Light. “I need to take this,” he said curtly. 

Ahsoka sighed. _Of course_ , she told herself. Maul’s priority was always going to be the schemes and operations of Crimson Dawn. Even if she was in the middle of telling a story about their daughter, a child who had no possible way of existing in the first place. She tried to keep herself from being insulted, but she could feel the anger bubbling up inside of her as she looked down to her lap. “I guess none of your calls can wait.”

Maul pressed the hold button on the holoproj. It occurred to him that he had not informed Ahsoka about his attempt to find a slicer who could erase her records from the Imperial Registry. But that explanation needed to wait. “I am in need of someone with a certain skillset. My associates have been tasked with finding suitable candidates. I will explain in detail later.”

He retrieved the holoproj from the table. “I’ll take the call in the office,” he said. He did not give any indication to Ahsoka whether she should join him or not, leaving her sitting on the bed in a growing annoyance. After a few seconds, she groaned and stood up, following him into the office room that was adjacent to the master bedroom. There was nothing else for her to do, at the moment, so she decided the best use of her time was to 

Maul set the holoproj down on the desk at the lights in the room flickered on. He sat down in the plush desk chair, pulling the hood of his jacket down over his face. Maul had never been the type to fuss over his appearance, but he did like to keep a consistent look when it came to addressing his associates. During holo-calls, he would endeavor to keep a balanced, even profile; sitting astride, back straight. His hood would always be down, concealing his face; this was as much of a trick of intimidation as it was to maintain the mystique that surrounded his identity. 

He would usually be covered from head to toe, save for the skin that ran from his neck to his stomach. The Nightbrothers used their ritual tattoos to unnerve their foes on the battlefield, but Maul had found that they achieved the same effect through a hologram. Even if his underlings were ignorant as to the meanings of the black, curving lines that covered his entire body, most had never seen an individual with markings as fierce as his. They brought to mind a savage, untamed nature, and this was exactly the aura he wanted to portray. Although he would appear calm and collected on his calls, he wanted his agents to know that a deadly, enraged personality lay underneath the surface.

Ahsoka came into the room as Maul pushed the receive button on the holoproj. She sat down on the chair in front of the long desk. She was still highly disappointed in the disinterest Maul had shown in the continuation of her story, but kept her emotions wrapped up for the time being. 

Maul’s eyes flickered to her briefly as the transmission came through on the holoproj. He leaned forwards on his haunches, lowering his face. The hologram shimmered up in front of him. 

The woman who appeared on the hologram had not been who Ahsoka had been expecting. Perhaps it had been wrong of her to assume that everyone who was employed in illegal activities had a certain look, but she had spent too much time dealing with bounty hunters and petty criminals that she thought she had seen it all. But the woman on the hologram was elegant and glamorous, wearing a luxurious transparent robe. She was sitting with her legs crossed, her hands settled on her lap; the lingerie she wore underneath the robe was partially visible as well. 

_All dressed up just to call him?_ Ahsoka thought as Maul scowled. 

“Yes?” Maul said, noting Qi’ra with disdain. He had no idea why Qi'ra was calling upon him now. Dryden had always been instructed to contact him directly. Qi’ra would sit in on their meetings, but he had never dealt with her one to one. He had no particular complaints towards her, but Qi'ra was beneath his gaze, at the moment. Perhaps if she proved herself useful, he would deign to take her more seriously.

“Lord Maul,” Qi'ra said, by way of greeting. The hologram flickered in and out. “Lord Vos and I have received your message. We believe that we have located a suitable slicer for your assignment.”

“Is that so?” Maul shifted slightly, steepling his fingers. “Who might this slicer be?”

“One of our field agents owns a droid with special programming. This droid regularly enters the Imperial Registry without being caught or detected. I have informed this agent and he is on his way to Naboo.”

Ahsoka tilted her head. _A slicer is coming here? Now?_ Maul had mentioned that the reason he was on Naboo was for business purposes. She thought she had an inkling of what Maul was up to, and paid close attention to the call to observe all that she could.

Maul looked at Qi’ra’s image with disdain. This had not been part of the agreement. “Qi’ra, my instructions explicitly stated that I would make my selection once I heard from my other lieutenants.”

“I understand, my lord,” Qi'ra said, leaning forwards slightly. “But I understood it to be urgent. Since we were due to meet you on Naboo to begin with, I decided that I would introduce you to our agent sooner rather than later. If you decide to choose a different candidate, we will personally compensate our agent and his droid for the trouble.”

It was a logical move, although Maul was still incensed that he had not been consulted first. He also noted Qi’ra’s use of _I_ rather than _we_ with interest. “For your sake, I hope this agent and his droid are suited to the task,” he growled. “You and Vos will prepare to come to Naboo immediately to accompany this agent and the droid.” There was no way Maul was going to negotiate with a common criminal. That was why he had employees like Qi'ra--to make introductions and fill these agents in on the dirty work.

“As you wish, my lord. We can make it to Naboo in around thirteen hours.” This would place their arrival time at around four in the afternoon, in local time.

Maul sighed, and straightened up once again. He extended his hand and reached out towards the bedroom. His lightsaber, which had been set on the vanity table, flew straight into his hand, whooshing past Ahsoka like an arrow. In the next second, Maul ignited it, letting the double blades extend out from each end. He brandished it in front of him, letting the red glow partially illuminate the lower half of his face. “I will not tolerate missteps, Qi’ra,” he growled. “This assignment is of paramount importance. If this droid is not up to the task, there will be consequences for all involved. For _you_ specifically.”

Ahsoka frowned. Even though seeing Maul and reforming their Force bond had reawakened old feelings for him, she had to remind herself that she was dealing with a former Sith who would not hesitate to kill his agents if they displeased him. She also did not appreciate the display of the lightsaber, attributing it to more of Maul’s flair for dramatics.

The woman in the hologram seemed taken aback, but straightened up immediately. “Yes, my lord. You will not be disappointed. We will set course for Naboo immediately.” 

Maul extinguished his saber and pushed the end button on the holoproj. The hologram disappeared, leaving him and Ahsoka facing each other. 

“So...what was that all about?” Ahsoka asked, leaning forwards. 

Maul was looking away, typing on his terminal again. “I am expecting some visitors later this afternoon,” he explained absently. “They will assist me in securing your safety.”

Ahsoka frowned. “How?” she pressed. She sighed in exasperation. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or what?” She let her annoyance filter in through their Force bond, making sure that Maul knew how displeased she was about being left in the dark.

Maul looked up at her briefly. “I am arranging a very dangerous and precise assignment,” he said simply. “I am attempting to delete your records--and Zeraa’s--from the Imperial Registry.”

Ahsoka blinked in confusion. “Is that possible?”

Maul turned back to his console. “It will make it possible.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter ended up spending more time with Qi’ra, Dryden, and Lando than I thought! Even though this story is about Maul/Ahsoka, a few other supporting characters will be starting their own storylines as well, to supplement our lovely couple. I am actually really excited to write some dialogue between Qi’ra and Lando, they (and Maul lol) were my favorite parts of the Solo movie and I really wish we knew more about how exactly they know each other.
> 
> I also really wanted this chapter to evoke just how Maul’s underlings, especially someone like Qi’ra, view him. I think the Crimson Dawn part of Maul’s life is just so interesting, especially the gangster aspect of it. I also wanted to write from the perspective of people who are actually working for Maul. I’d like to explore the actual, cruel aspects of Maul’s behavior. And since he definitely isn’t going to act like that towards Ahsoka or Zeraa, I wanted to bring in the actual people he would threaten and order around.
> 
> Also, to explain a little bit more about technology in this fic. I figure that ‘emails’ would be called something like ‘holo-messages’ or ’text messages’. Personal frequency numbers are supposed to be like cell phone numbers. Holonet Protocol (HP) Address = Internet Protocol (IP) Address. And I actually have no idea how any of this actually works in the SW universe, hopefully this jargon is good enough to make sense. Let me know if anything doesn’t, though. 
> 
> I always love comments about Maul, Ahsoka, Maulsoka, the Solo gang, and any other aspect of Star Wars. Please feel free to leave comments and constructive criticism if you wish :)


	11. In Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maul and Ahsoka argue over the terms of their unexpected arrangement, both with strong objections as to the other's methods.

****

**The present - 13 BBY. Aboard the First Light - personal yacht of Dryden Vos.**

The holoproj call flickered off, abruptly ending the transmission with Maul’s menacing figure brandishing the double bladed lightsaber. The walls of Dryden’s office resumed their normal, golden glow.

Qi'ra leaned back in the chair, breathless, her heart fluttering slightly. She wasn’t sure if it had been due to fear or intrigue, but it was probably a little bit of both. Her very first solo conversation with Maul had gone as she had expected; Maul had been cold and imperious, just as he acted towards Dryden. But the lightsaber had been an unexpected touch, especially a double-bladed specimen. Qi'ra had seen lightsabers before; back on Corellia, during her time in the Silo, that hellhole where orphaned children sought refuge, she had seen two Jedi once before. They had been striding confidently down the streets of the slums, in sandy brown robes and hooded cloaks, lightsabers visible on their belts as they walked. But she had never seen a lightsaber ignited before not in real life; and even though Maul had done it through a holocall, she still felt that it was a first.

But did this mean that Maul was a former Jedi? She thought it was doubtful; but then again, the galaxy had certainly seen stranger occurrences. After all, one did not need to be a Jedi to wield a lightsaber. Maul could have belonged to any of the other Force-based sects around the galaxy, of which there were many.

But despite Maul’s intimidating appearance, Qi'ra had also noticed that Maul looked a little less put together than the other meetings where she had been present. His face had been hooded as usual, and he was still wearing his familiar black clothing. But his shirt sleeves had been rolled up to the elbow, exposing his red hands and forearms; like his chest, his arms were also covered in heavy, curving black tattoos. Qi'ra had been wondering if Maul’s tattoos extended beyond his chest, and she now had her answer. Another thing she had noticed was that he was not wearing the usual gold disk of Crimson Dawn around his neck. Maul was usually meticulous when it came to his appearance, but it seemed that this time, he had let some things slide.

But besides the physical discrepancies, it had been clear to Qi'ra that Maul was distracted. In all of the meetings that she had sat in on with Dryden, Maul had always displayed a razor sharp focus; looking Dryden straight in his eyes, never losing track of details, always attending closely to plans. But this time--even though Maul’s face had been obscured--she had noticed that his head tilted slightly to his right a few times during their conversation, as if he had been looking at something, at _someone_ , in the room with him. 

This upcoming meeting was going to be extremely interesting. She knew that the purpose of Maul’s lightsaber had been to intimidate her into submission, and she had felt tiny pinpricks of fear against her spine as soon as he had taken it out. But she had also felt something else along with it.

Excitement.

Qi'ra rose from the desk, sighing. She couldn’t help that she had been turned on by the experience. She wondered if perhaps she had become too used to sexual aggression to enjoy anything gentle. Although every man was different, men in similar positions of power only wanted one thing--control. And Qi'ra was prepared to let Maul control her--or believe that he controlled her, in any event.

She could only pray that Lando’s droid would be able to fulfill the specifics of Maul’s assignment. Being able to do so would earn her a commendation. And then perhaps Maul would care to dominate her in a different way entirely.

-

**The present - 13 BBY. Mansion, Theed Residential District, Naboo**

“What if your plan fails?” Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest. Maul had informed her about his plan to erase her records in such a casual manner that he might as well have been reading a grocery list. “What if it can’t be done?”

“It has to be done,” Maul said absently, looking back at his terminal. “There’s no question.” The very first thing he would need to do would be to compile a list of keywords for the droid to search against. He began to type, thinking of words that came to mind if one were to perform a general search on Ahsoka.

>_ [ ahsoka tano; ashla roshti ]

“Don’t you think erasing those records will look suspicious?” Ahsoka asked. “Won’t the Imperials just be able to restore them, somehow?” The Empire kept multiple backups of everything; there was no way that they didn’t have the entire Imperial Registry stored away in some remote vault, somewhere in the vastness of the galaxy.

“Not if this droid does its job correctly.”

>_ [ jedi; togruta ] 

“I’m sure they’ll have back-ups offline…” Ahsoka protested. She had no doubt that Maul kept tabs all over the galaxy, but the Imperial machine was too powerful to repel any slicer.

“Offline backups are located on the planet Scarif,” Maul said. His intelligence had informed him of this a few years ago. “The droid will need to find a way to access those as well,” he continued. “It should be able to, if it’s as proficient as described.” This recommendation would need to do, for now. He had not received any other suggestions from the other bosses yet, and until someone proposed a better alternative, he had to work with Qi'ra’s proposal.

“But what if the droid fails?”

Maul was beginning to lose his patience with Ahsoka’s incessant questions. “Then Qi’ra will need to watch out for her lovely little throat.” 

Ahsoka frowned. No matter that she and Maul had rekindled their Force bond, or that they had been sharing intimate moments about the past just a few minutes before. As soon as the present intruded on them again, Ahsoka had to come back to the reality that Maul, despite his patient and gentle behavior with her, was still, at heart, a ruthless and calculating leader who would threaten death if his plans were not carried out correctly.

“Do you really think threatening your own employees is the right way to get your point across?”

“I’m afraid you don’t understand the way this organization works,” Maul said, looking up from the list he was currently typing out. “Fear and intimidation are the ways in which I control those who work under me. I cannot allow anyone to believe that they might eventually get the upper hand in these affairs. I am not forgiving of errors. The plan must succeed.”

“I see you really haven’t changed,” Ahsoka said, looking away. “And I guess I didn’t expect you to. But you’re making these threats under the guise of protecting Zeraa and I. If you’re going to use your protection of us as the reason to menace others, then leave her--and I--out of it.”

“If you think my methods are too harsh, so be it,” Maul said, unimpressed with her moralistic attitude. “I need to keep a tight hold on these operations. And if you’re concerned about my warnings towards Qi'ra, you should understand that she, like all the rest of these rabble, is dangerous.”

Ahsoka leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. She thought back to the soft, delicate-looking woman she had observed in the hologram. “She didn’t look dangerous to _me_.”

Maul let out a short, tired laugh. He detected a slight hint of jealousy in Ahsoka’s estimation, and it amused him. “If that is how Qi’ra appears to you, then you won’t last a minute outside these doors.” He had heard innumerable reports from Dryden detailing Qi’ra’s handiwork during several of the assignments he had sent her on. In just one year she had already become an adept in Teräs Käsi, the same fighting style of which Maul was a practitioner. Maul had previously taught it to Dryden, and Dryden had passed it on to Qi'ra.

Maul knew that, even with her small frame and demure behavior, Qi'ra possessed the mind of a killer and an assassin. “That is exactly the reason why you are not in charge of an organization like this one, Lady Tano.”

In just a few minutes, Ahsoka’s drive to tell Maul more about the details of Zeraa’s life had totally sputtered and died. Now she was left with only anger. This had been the last thing she wished for; she did not wish for herself or her daughter to be used as a reason for Maul to instigate more violence. 

“In any event, my associates will be here later today,” Maul continued. “You and Zeraa will stay in your rooms once they arrive. There is no need for you to worry about the details. I will make sure everything is taken care of.

“Stay in my _room_!?” Ahsoka shot back. “Stop talking to me as if I was a child!”

Maul glared at her. “Then is it your wish to wander around, like a walking target, in front of people who are not to be trusted?”

“That’s not what I meant…” Ahsoka protested. She would, of course, stay out of the way of Maul’s associates. But the fact that he needed to tell her these things was the real insult. “You need to understand that I’m not taking orders from you.”

“Then perhaps you may think of it as a mandatory suggestion,” Maul said, narrowing his eyes. Ahsoka was the only person who could invoke such a wide variety of feelings within him--desire, concern, misery. But those extremes also meant that she could provoke a rage inside him that stemmed from his need to protect her as much as he could. “Like it or not, Lady Tano, you and Zeraa are now under my protection. You will need to obey my instructions if this plan is to succeed.”

Perhaps if Maul had found some pleasant, softer way of saying this, Ahsoka might have given up her arguments. She was aware that she and Zeraa were in a dangerous, volatile situation. But she knew that this was all part of Maul’s need to control every situation he found himself dealing with, and she hated to be under his thumb like this. “I will stay out of your way when your employees arrive,” she said, crossing her legs. “But only because I know it’s the reasonable thing to do. Not because you want me to obey you.”

She looked away, towards the gray skies of the early morning that were beginning to slide into light. “Look...I hope you understand that Zeraa and I can’t stay with you forever. I’m grateful for the help that you’re giving us now...I really am.” She looked down at her lap. “But as soon as it’s safe for us to leave, I’m going to find a way to get us offworld.”

Maul felt his hearts jump. “You cannot be serious about that,” he sneered.

Ahsoka sat up determinedly. “I need to get her far away from here.” There had to be another planet or moon that would be safe for them to hide. “I will not let her get caught up in another conflict. She is going to be safe from any harm whatsoever.” She had promised this to Zeraa when she had still been an infant, and it was non-negotiable. “I’m going to find a place where we can start a new life.”

“You know as well as I do that your idea is foolhardy and worthless,” Maul said viciously. He was not going to watch his words with her any longer.

Ahsoka decided to ignore the insult for now. “I’d rather take my chances out there than stay with an organization that I know is committing crime,” she said. “I may no longer be a Jedi, but I swore to raise Zeraa to know right from wrong. Staying with you will only expose her to situations I don’t want her to be aware of.” 

She knew that the crime syndicates dabbled in unsavory practices of every kind--spice running, slavery, armed robbery--all of which Maul sanctioned and encouraged. Even though she still had deep feelings for him, she could not condone the activities he had made possible, the avenues of transgression that he dealt in.

Maul sat back. Ahsoka was being as sanctimonious as she had ever been. She had always had this particular foolish streak inside her, one that believed that there were still people in the galaxy who weren’t out to use and harm other people. Maul had never met any of them, that was certain. “You aren’t taking any chances whatsoever. I will not allow it.”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “Are you saying that you’re going to keep us here against our will?”

“If that’s what it will take to keep you safe, then yes,” Maul answered.

“You know you won’t be able to keep me anywhere that I don’t want to be,” Ahsoka said, her fingers flexing into a fist.

Maul steepled his fingers as he leaned back in the chair. “I am not so foolish as to think that I could keep you from escaping if you truly wished to,” he said. “And if you desire to throw your own life away, so be it. But you will _not_ take the girl.”

Ahsoka shot straight up at this statement, enraged. “How can you dare to lay a claim on her as if you knew about her this whole time?!” she screamed, eyes blazing with anger. “You only learned about her a few hours ago.” She lowered her voice, back into that intense whisper as she felt her heart begin to race. “You have no authority in any decisions regarding her.”

Now it was Maul’s turn to rise. “I will not allow you to endanger the life of that child!” he hissed back. “Have you no idea of her value?”

“ _Value_?” Ahsoka echoed. _Of course_ she thought bitterly. Maul was only interested in people so that he could use them to his own ends. Even his own daughter, his flesh and blood, was not free from usage. “Is that what you think of her? As a resource for you to use for your own schemes one day?”

Maul was reaching his breaking point with his own patience. “Lady Tano,” he began calmly. “Perhaps you don’t realize the position you’ve put me in.” He leaned forwards over the desk, putting his hands against the edge to steady himself. “I have learned, unexpectedly and rather impossibly, that I am the father of your child. This is not a title I ever thought I would hold.” 

His yellow eyes darted up to meet hers. “The highest achievement a Nightbrother can accomplish in his lifetime is to conceive a daughter,” he explained. “In our culture, daughters are desired and treasured. They are to be protected at all costs. Nothing can be spared in keeping a daughter safe and out of harm’s way.”

Ahsoka stayed quiet, taking this knowledge in, barely containing the anger still pent up inside of her.

“You feel insulted over the fact that I dare to dictate where you can and cannot take her,” Maul continued. “But you must understand. She is the last child of my bloodline. You _are_ her mother." He paused momentarily “And for this, I hold you in the highest esteem. But as her father, I must object if I feel that you will be putting her in a dangerous situation.”

Ahsoka finally understood where Maul had developed the distinct protective streak she had detected in him earlier in the day. Even though he had not known the truth then, he had sensed his connection to Zeraa immediately. But she also sensed that Maul, despite his developing feelings of affection towards Zeraa, was not specifically talking about her from a place of true concern; his tones dripped in pride and self-satisfaction, even if Maul himself did not realize it. 

“Maul…” she began. “Zeraa is not an achievement. Or a reward for your pride.“ She sighed. “She is a child. If you have any kind of esteem for me at all, you would know that _this_ isn’t what I want for her,” she continued, gesturing around the room. “I will not allow you to control her in a way that steers her towards a life with Crimson Dawn.”

“Crimson Dawn is the only entity standing between you and the Empire right now,” Maul replied. “Listen to reason. Where would you go? Once the Empire extends its reach and releases your name and image to the galaxy, there is no place that you or Zeraa would be safe.”

Ahsoka felt her heart start to tremble once again. “I will protect her. I’ve kept her safe ever since she was born.”

“You do not even have your lightsabers,” Maul shot back. “You have not completed your Jedi training. On your own, you are no match for the mechanisms that Palpatine has put in place.”

“And you are?!” she demanded, thinking back to that duel years ago, when she had bested and captured him on Mandalore.

“I am not,” he admitted. “No one is. But I have an entire arsenal at my disposal. I have the resources and the intelligence to keep you hidden. And mark my words--no one else will come to your aid once the Empire puts a bounty on your head. They will be ready to hunt and betray you at a moment’s notice. You will become a commodity to them.”

Ahsoka crossed her arms and looked away from him. Everything he said made sense, but she hated to admit it to herself.

Maul did not know why he was even continuing to argue with her. He had the power to deploy an army of hired guns and droids to guard Ahsoka at all times, with no need to listen to her pleas and arguments. Perhaps it was because of his feelings towards her that he needed to make her truly understand. 

“You have heard of the Emperor’s Enforcer, have you not?” he asked, choosing his words carefully. He was not aware of what Ahsoka did and did not know about this particular subject. “He is called Darth Vader.” 

“I have,” Ahsoka said shortly. Maul seemed to forget that even on a remote world like Raada, Holonet still existed to provide news and updates. “Palpatine’s Jedi killer.” She bowed her head. “The apprentice he took after discarding and killing Anakin.”

Maul leaned back. So Ahsoka did not know the truth about Vader. He briefly debated telling her, but he decided against it. He would not be the one to break that to her now--this was meant to be a conversation for another time. Hearing it now would surely break Ahsoka, and he needed her to be strong.

“I am sure that news of this discovery has reached my old Master by now,” he continued. “You know that he will send Vader after you. He will not stop until you have been hunted down and killed.” He focused his yellow eyes on hers at this point. “And if he gets his hands on Zeraa…”

His hearts grew cold as the thought of Palpatine sinking his tendrils into Zeraa’s innocent mind flickered through his fears. He clearly remembered what his own childhood had been like. The physical torture, the mental anguish that Maul had experienced as a child was flooding his senses now. The very thought of Zeraa being subjected to this cruelty and abuse was too much for him to bear. He tried to cut the feelings out of his mind before Ahsoka could notice, but it was too late.

Ahsoka saw what was passing through his mind, and her heart immediately recoiled in horror. “No,” she said, although her heart began racing as she glimpsed the snippets of Maul’s memories, even as his mind tried to push her out. But a Force bond, once established, was strong, and thoughts could flow freely from one person to the other. “Stop. He will never take her,” she gasped, her eyes widening in anger.

“Then you need to listen to me and to trust my methods,” Maul hissed. “The safest place for you to be is here, with me. Protecting you and Zeraa is my only priority. At this point, I’m your only hope.” 

Ahsoka swallowed her words. She had to come to terms with the fact that there was really no other choice. She and Zeraa were virtual prisoners now. Maul was correct. There was nowhere else in the galaxy they could run.

And she could think of no better situation for Maul to desire. He assumed he would have her under his control, and she needed to make it clear that this could not be the case.

“Even if you say that you’re doing this to protect us...I know what it is that you want from me,” she said slowly. She could not help but think back to the weeks they had spent together on Bogano--how a simple kiss had grown into something uncontrollable. But what Maul was seeking from her was not only physical. “I can’t give that to you. I might have feelings for you, but I can’t go against what I feel is right.”

Maul liked to think that his hearts had been hardened by the experiences of his life, but each new sentiment brought on by Ahsoka could only break him more and more. “Only say that you will stay under my protection, Lady Tano,” he implored. “And if there is to be nothing more than respect between us, so be it.” He paused. “I knew that I was only a replacement for the man you would have rather had.”

Ahsoka felt the tears welling up from her eyes again, and looked down, blinking to keep them at bay. _You know that isn’t true,_ her mind whispered to his, through their Force Bond. But she was so hurt by this that she could only say the first thing that came to mind. “No more than you pretended that I was the girl you used to dream about.”

Now Maul sat back in his chair, eyes blazing, but he did not protest. 

They both stopped at this point. Now they were only trying to hurt each other again, and they knew that these were cheap shots. The memories of how they had used each other initially--and how their feelings had developed beyond physical lust--was another story entirely. And not a problem that could be tackled and solved now, on top of the other circumstances they needed to deal with.

“I have told you how I feel about you and Zeraa staying with me,” Maul said shortly. “That’s all I have to say.”

“It’s...it’s been a long night,” Ahsoka said quietly. “I know that I haven’t finished telling you about Zeraa. But I need some time to think over everything that’s happened.”

Maul knew that their conversation had steered towards a place that neither of them had meant it to go. He would not press her for any more details until she was ready to speak again. “Go, then,” he said shortly. “Rest.”

-

Ahsoka gently opened the door to the room where Zeraa was sleeping. The glow lamps were still dimmed, but she could still make out the outline of the little girl lying in bed. She had shifted slightly under the covers, and the blanket had slipped off her shoulders. 

Ahsoka had only meant to come in to check on her before heading to bed herself. But seeing the tiny girl lying so innocently in bed nearly broke her heart. The thought of anything further happening to Zeraa horrified her totally, and Maul’s reassurances had done little to calm her. 

She came closer to the bed. Zeraa was making a small, almost unnoticeable noise in her sleep; it was a low-pitched purr, a rumbling noise that emanated from her throat. It was a sound that Ahsoka had become so used to over the years that she suddenly felt like she had to hear it now.

She lifted the blanket and climbed in next to Zeraa. Zeraa had passed the age where she and Ahsoka slept in the same bed, but it was not rare for her to come to Ahsoka in the middle of the night, whenever she had a nightmare.

Perhaps now it was Ahsoka who was having the nightmare.

Zeraa stirred slightly as she felt the extra weight on the bed. “Mommy…?” she whispered, eyes opening in a sleepy daze as she turned onto her side.

Ahsoka smiled. “It’s me,” she affirmed. “Is it okay if I stay with you tonight?”

“Mmmhmm,” Zeraa mumbled. She instinctively snuggled up closer to Ahsoka, her tiny montrals against Ahsoka’s shoulder.

“Go back to sleep, sweethearts.”

Zeraa had not really been awake to begin with; she merely closed her eyes, drifting back into a peaceful, innocent slumber; the purring noise resumed after only a few seconds. Ahsoka raised her hand, gently bringing it to Zeraa’s cheek. _I’m going to keep you safe._

Through their Force bond, she could still feel Maul’s mind at work, calculating, planning. And even though she knew that he was making arrangements for her and Zeraa’s safety, she disliked thinking that she was now indebted to him. 

She thought she had freed herself from Maul’s grasp years ago. But perhaps neither of them had been free from each other to begin with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a little longer than I thought it would. I originally wrote a very long flashback for this chapter, but it ended up making things a little bit too long, so I’m saving it for the next time :) So this chapter is a bit shorter than the others, cause there are just some scenes that can't really be split up.
> 
> Now that I’ve written this, I’m hoping that Ahsoka doesn’t come off as a weak character. Ahsoka is one of my favorite SW characters (obvs) and I hate writing her in stories where she has no power. But I guess that is what I wanted to emphasize at this point—that Ahsoka literally has no power, as in she doesn’t even have her lightsabers. I think every person has felt helpless, or at the whim of another person, at some point in their lives. I really wanted to convey that feeling here, even if she and Maul are still stuck in their sorta/not-really romance lol. That Maul has the upper hand in this situation and she detests that, but she also needs to go along with it cause right now, there’s no other choice. 
> 
> Also Maul is definitely someone who always wants to be in control. And now, he is—except he knows that he can’t really control Ahsoka. So he has control and at the same time, he doesn’t. Not sure if that really comes across in this writing, but I’m hoping it does!
> 
> I love receiving comments and constructive criticism about this story, Maul, Ahsoka, Maulsoka, or SW in general :) Please feel free to leave some words!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not exactly sure what inspired me to write this Maul/Ahsoka fanfic. I've always been a fan of mismatched couples, but I felt like Maul and Ahsoka especially would have to go through some special circumstances to have a relationship between them ever be viable.
> 
> I have a lot of thoughts about where I'd like to take this, and would love to hear comments and constructive criticism.
> 
> The amazing key art for this fic was created by the super talented Danielle Balanga, who makes incredible art and commissions for Star Wars and other fandoms! You can check her out [here](https://www.instagram.com/balangawa/)!


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